Fearless
by J R Mai
Summary: Ranger POV – It wasn't the drug war threatening to tear apart the streets of Trenton that had him worried. Or the fact he was on a hit list again. It was the ever growing possibility Stephanie Plum might be pregnant. Companion to PLUM SCARY, between 18 and 19. Supplemental Canon. J R Mai's original titles MEREDITH'S FIRE and HEAT OF WINTER are available on Kindle and Amazon. com
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

He knew he was dreaming. Didn't make seeing her naked any less gratifying. She really was incredible. And not just the soft ivory skin and supple curves. Or the enchanting blue eyes that held his gaze from within the frame of those glorious chocolate bedroom curls. No. It was the fire in those eyes. Teasing. Defiant. Tempting. Both erotic and shy. Brave yet vulnerable. She was an enigma. A problem he hadn't been able to figure out. An addiction he couldn't give up no matter how hard he tried. God help him.

God help her.

That was probably the prayer he should be saying. Because for as much as having feelings for her terrified him sometimes, it was only too obvious that he was the dangerous one. If he was a good guy he'd step back. Let her get on with her life.

Too bad he wasn't a good guy.

Ranger straightened in the driver's seat of the fleet vehicle he'd been driving nonstop for days. Sleeping in it too, when he couldn't find a shitty motel. Wasn't worth the trouble of getting a room anyway. He was only sleeping for a couple hours a night. His quarry had a two day head start. Because that's how long it had taken the FBI to ask for his help. Bypassing red tape and protocol to do it. This hunt was strictly off book. Considering the number of laws it was breaking, that was probably for the best.

He put the Ford Expedition into gear and pulled away from the drainage ditch curb just off the frontage road. He'd have to find something to eat the next time he stopped for gas. At least that was one hunger he'd be able to satisfy. The one his dream had stoked wasn't going to be so easy. Not that he'd needed something so vivid to make him want her. He wanted her all the time. Day or night. No matter the activity. Hell. He couldn't get through a church service with his family without thinking about the thin, breathless way she screamed when she was under him. If he wasn't going to hell already, that would probably do it. Further evidence that he was a sick puppy.

God, he wanted her. This hunt should have been over days ago. Would have been, if the FBI had called him in the moment they found Alvarez was missing. Instead Ranger was one step behind. Dogging the trail of a man too smart to stay in one place, or rely on known associates, or travel a predictable path. By the time Ranger found the old ex-girlfriend from high school he'd been crashing with, Alvarez was halfway to Knoxville in her car. Which Ranger found on the side of the road with a nice note that said 'fuck you' taped to the steering wheel. Clear indicator that one of his buddies let him know Ranger was on his tail. Most of the time that would encourage a fugitive to give up or act stupid. Not this one.

Didn't matter. There was a reason Ranger was the one they called when shit got hard. He'd been hunting fugitives for years. Made a career out of it as a bounty hunter. And before that, he was an Army Ranger. Special Forces. Specialized Delta unit. Doing everything from search and rescue to hunting bad guys for Uncle Sam. Both on the books and off.

Some of the off was why he was pretty certain hell was in his future.

He'd been closing in on Alvarez as they crossed Texas. Only six hours behind in Dallas. Four in Abilene. If Alvarez followed his usual pattern, Ranger might have gained another hour or two overnight. Good thing he didn't need as much sleep as most people. He could function on next to nothing for quite a while. Ranger had heard his men say before that he wasn't human. A smile tried to surface. Sometimes he wondered that himself.

She drifted through his thoughts again. Damn. If there was ever a reason to want to be human.

Stephanie Plum had been a lot of things to him. A student. A partner. A smartass subordinate. A friend. He'd trusted her. Shared his secrets. His bed. Both in casual, semi-plutonic cohabitation and as a lover. There was even a little corner of his blackened dead heart where she'd carved out a home. Reviving it little by little just by virtue of her grace. She was pure white light. Sunshine made flesh.

And she wasn't his.

He had to remind himself of that more and more since they'd come back from Hawaii. Well. Since he'd come back from Hawaii chasing her fleeing heels after she'd run away from him. From them. It had been a reasonable response to seeing her boyfriend and her lover bloody each other like that. Like a pair of snot nosed punks fighting over a toy in the schoolyard. Because he'd forgotten, in the dreamlike setting so far removed from the realities of home, that Steph wasn't his to keep. As much as he might wish otherwise.

Ranger tried very hard not to do things that were stupid. And having feelings that deep for Stephanie Plum was definitely stupid. She belonged with Morelli.

Sure, the idiot had a tendency to screw things up. Which meant that Steph wasn't officially his about half the time. In fact, it had been months since they'd been exclusive. Some messed up shit about bread or peanut butter. Idiot. If Steph was Ranger's, he wouldn't let something so pointless get in the way of a good thing. Especially since he had so many valid reasons standing in the way already.

What were the chances Steph and Morelli got back together while Ranger was off hunting a runaway for the FBI? Fucking likely. Which meant his window of opportunity would be closed when he got back. Hell. It had probably closed before he left.

For the most part, Stephanie Plum was a good girl. Didn't sleep around or do meaningless sex. And she couldn't bang more than one man at a time. She'd been Ranger's in Hawaii. And even after she'd run away from him like he was the devil and he was sure she'd put distance between them again, she'd still fucked him in a closet while they were breaking and entering. Good times. But then, as he'd predicted, she pulled away. Swore she was off men. He got that. She was protecting herself. It was a smart move. But he was also pretty sure she slept with Morelli after that. He could tell by the way she pulled back even more. He doubted she was still off men. Just him.

Sometimes he regretted not being the kind of man she could be with. He'd give up a hell of a lot to be with her. But that was the problem. The price was too high. Ranger couldn't make her promises or offer emotional intimacy. And she was too good to settle for a sexual relationship without something more on the horizon. No matter how satisfying.

God. He hated that he missed her. It was a distraction he couldn't afford. If he'd at least had his phone, he could have accessed the Rangeman system. Called up her GPS location. Or checked the reports Tank was undoubtedly accruing from the 24 hour surveillance he would have put on her in Ranger's absence. Because like the rest of his men, Tank didn't want to be the one to tell Ranger his woman came to harm doing her dangerous job.

Unfortunately for Ranger, his phone went for a swim in the Delaware when he went after a seven foot tall abomination called Little John. Upside, putting that behemoth face down on the riverbank had been how he'd learned Alvarez was headed south. Downside, he hadn't been able to find an easy replacement, and not knowing for certain that she was safe was a painful itch at the back of his brain.

He had to catch his man. That was the simplest solution. Get Alvarez in cuffs and get him back to Jersey. Then he could go back to dealing with the fucked up shambles he'd made of his own life.

He was pleased when he got to a gas station just outside of El Paso and found that his quarry had stopped to fill up only a half hour before. Meant two things. One, Alvarez was likely going on to Mexico. Figuring that crossing that border would save him because extradition was such a pain in the ass. And two, if nothing went seriously wrong, Ranger would be flying home tonight. Because borders didn't mean shit to him. He was off book already. Which meant as long as he could get Alvarez back into Texas, he'd be able to get him on a plane without filing any pesky paperwork or waiting for government approval. And then he'd be able to check on Steph. A solid plan. As long as there weren't any variables in the wings waiting to fuck with him.

Ranger headed straight for the border crossing and left the Expedition behind. He'd move faster on foot. Run fewer risks. In all likelihood, it was how Alvarez was getting through too. There wasn't a hell of a lot of security in place to screen people entering Mexico. It was only a problem when you wanted to come back to the States. And Ranger knew already he would have to get creative to get back without extradition papers.

Didn't take much to cross into Juarez. Not even a flash of passport or a close inspection from one of the heavily armed border agents on either side of the bridge. Lucky him. Might have been trouble if they realized he was armed. And another stroke of karmic justice, Alvarez was indeed on foot. Ranger spotted him in a crowded square. Scanning the bustling streets like he was looking for something. Ranger followed him to a side street and put his ass on the ground. After that, it was just a matter of reaching out to the right people. Ranger knew some coyotes that could get them back to Texas for the right price.

Ten hours later, he was handing his fugitive off to a couple FBI agents at Newark Liberty International. Picked up the fleet car Tank had put in long term parking. Standard procedure when he went off line with no firm return date. Tank would also handle the Expedition Ranger had left behind. One of the advantages of having a second in command.

Even with the six hours of rest he'd caught on the plane, Ranger was running on empty. He should have been exhausted. Hardly eating for days. Barely sleeping. And yet it wasn't the Zen calm of his quiet apartment and his massive bed that he wanted.

It was peace of mind.

Either that or he was showing signs of insanity.

He hardly had to think about where he was headed. Found himself in the parking lot behind her building. He let himself into her apartment. He did that a lot. She never really seemed to mind all that much. Not that she always knew he was there. Sometimes he'd just stop by to see her. See for himself that she was safe. Change out the trackers he always kept on her.

He smiled. His fascination with her was borderline obsessive.

He didn't know how Stephanie Plum had managed to get so far under his skin. It wasn't like him to get so involved with a woman. He used to manage his sex life differently. It was easier in the service. He hadn't been as cautious then. Most of the women he'd slept with had been random. One night stands he met in bars while he was on leave. He couldn't remember most of them, to be honest.

Things changed when his tour of duty was up. Setting up in one spot made things riskier. One wrong move could upset the balance of a carefully laid life. There were only a few women he'd been willing to trust since he'd come to Trenton, and most of them were as distant and inaccessible as he was. Like Jeanne Ellen Barrows. They'd been ships passing in the night. Lining up on occasion to expel some pent up sexual energy before moving on. No strings. No entanglement. Next to no conversation. A serial string of one night stands. It had gotten old eventually. He respected Jeanne Ellen. She was good at what she did. But they weren't ever all that compatible, even for meaningless sex.

And that was before Steph. Before one night suddenly made meaningless seem pathetic.

He hadn't given up sleeping with other women after that first night with her. She'd gone back to Morelli, after all. He'd made sure of it. She put a careful distance between them and he had let her, because he'd been just as afraid of the power between them as she was. The temptation stayed, though. Got stronger. And every time she broke up with Morelli, every time circumstances lined up and she became a steady fixture in his life again, even for a short time, he'd lost a little more interest in finding another outlet for his needs.

It had actually been over a year since he'd sought out the company of another woman. Steph had been living with Morelli at the time. Ranger had asked her to help him manage security on an aging singer, enjoying the flirting and the sexual tension that had always set their relationship apart. He'd wanted her every night. Even offered to take her home with him when the job was almost over. She'd declined like the good girl she is, though, and gone home to her boyfriend. It wasn't until he'd tried to find release somewhere else that he realized it was still all about her. Had been for a while. Every woman he'd been with for more months than he could count had all been substitutes for what he really wanted. And after she moved out of Morelli's house again shortly after, he'd given it all up and focused everything on her. It was frustrating sometimes, but that had only made it more rewarding when she'd finally let the barrier fall again and had ended up back in his bed.

He stepped into the doorway that led into Steph's bedroom. Her outline barely visible under the covers. Obscured by shadow. He could hear the slow, even rhythm of her breaths breaking the stillness. Sound asleep.

He'd tried really hard not to fall in love with her. A lost cause, it turns out. She'd kind of snuck up on him. Slipped under his guard while he was focusing on the blistering physical attraction between them. Usually when he desired a woman he was able to stay detached. Not this time. There was something disarming about her. He just wished he could put his finger on it. Maybe if he could, he could figure out how to step back and let her go, for her sake.

He pushed that away. He didn't really want to let her go. Not yet, at least. She was like sunshine made flesh sometimes. Cutting through the darkness that made up his life. It wouldn't be fair to hold onto her forever, but for now he just couldn't imagine things being any other way. Even if he did have to share her with that ass Morelli.

Her breathing changed. Became shallow. Cautious. He smiled. She knew he was there. He walked toward the bed and her attention followed him. There was a marked change in her when she recognized him. He wasn't sure if it was his scent. It had been a week since he'd used the shower gel she liked so much. He doubted it was still on him after so many days of driving halfway across country, so many nights sleeping in his car and in cheap motels. Maybe she could just sense his energy like he could sense hers.

He leaned over her and brushed his lips across hers. Hardly touching her. He'd just wanted to kiss her. Wasn't even entirely sure she was awake. Not until her fingers curled into his shirt. She pulled him closer and an elated rush flooded his body. He let out a sigh and gave over to her. Pulled the covers aside so there was nothing between them. She let her thighs fall open when he settled on top of her, letting him in like she had so many times in Hawaii. He didn't know if it was a conscious choice or a natural response, but he didn't really care either way. His hands followed her bare skin under her shirt until he could touch her breasts. She let out an excited noise and he was done for.

He was making love to her before he had a chance to think it through. Question if it was even a good idea. She was just so eager. Almost as hungry for it as he was. He didn't realize until they fell over the edge together just how much he had wanted this. Seemed she'd felt the same, whether she admitted it or not.

He let the contentment wrap around them, kissing her tenderly.

"You missed me," she said in the darkness.

"Yes." It was a profound understatement, given how quickly he had lost control. He hadn't been that eager since their first time. When the tension between them had built up so much for so long that he'd had to drag her into the bedroom and fuck her before he could even think straight enough to start making love. He'd made up for it after. For hours on end. And every time they renewed the connection, whether it had been years or days, he still felt an urgency pulling him in.

"Where were you?" she asked, brushing the side of his face. "You were supposed to check on an account in Whitehorse and never came back. No one's heard from you in days."

"Manhunt. My phone was damaged. Didn't get a chance to get another one."

"That's it? That's all you're going to say?"

He laughed silently. Leave it to Steph to insist on details. None of his other women had bothered. They knew from the beginning that they would never get anything from him. Didn't really care anyway. But then, they had never owned a piece of him like she did. He kissed her gently.

"The guy I was after is named Juan Alvarez. He's supposed to be an informant for the FBI, but he gave them the slip. I was called in as a personal favor. I've hunted Alvarez a few times before when he went FTA. They knew I'd be able to find him off book, and that I had ways of bringing him back without waiting for extradition. I tracked him as far as Juarez before I finally caught up to him. Dragged his ass back across the border. I chartered a plane out of El Paso this afternoon. Handed him over when we got back to Newark."

"You came straight here?"

If she only knew how often he did that. He was never in a big rush to get back to Rangeman. Not unless there was something pressing that needed his immediate attention. Even if she was sleeping, he'd stop in to see her. Just to reassure himself that she was safe. There had been a lot of times when he'd been tempted to climb into her bed like this. He'd just never felt right about it. He hadn't intended to give into the temptation this time either, but when she responded to him like that it had finally gotten the better of him. A smile surfaced. "Lucky for me you were awake." He kissed her again and lifted off her. "I've been traveling rough for a week. I'm gonna go take a shower. Then we can try this again without any clothes on."

And again. And again. He headed for her bathroom trying to hold onto his grin. Once again he'd found the window open after he thought it had closed. If he was really lucky, nothing would get in the way this time. Not even Morelli.

Her bathroom was outdated, like the rest of the apartment. All brown and orange tile and tired accessories. Nothing like the expensive, modern fixtures in his own apartment. He didn't mind it, but he liked it better when they were at Rangeman. Maybe he'd be able to talk her into staying the night at his place next time. Assuming there was a next time.

He reached in the shower to turn on the tap and his eyes fell on the trashcan next to the sink. Something was sitting on top. He stared at it for a second. An empty box. For a pregnancy test.

Steph had taken a pregnancy test.

He ran some quick calculations. He'd looked at the packet of birth control pills when they were in Hawaii. She'd been halfway through. Middle of her cycle. Usually he was compulsive about using condoms, but there had been one night. A moment of weakness when he realized he forgot to slip one into his pocket and she whispered to him on the edge of temptation that she was on the pill.

If Steph was pregnant, there was a better than good chance he was the father.

He shut down his emotions before they could register. It wasn't productive to jump to conclusions. An empty box alone didn't mean much. He thought about searching for the test itself, but all he could think about was her face. He wasn't even breathing.

Ranger stepped back into the bedroom. "Babe? Is there something I should know?"

Her worry turned to panic when she saw what he was holding. She hadn't expected him to find it. From the way she turned white, she probably had been hoping he'd never find out she'd taken it at all. She swallowed. "It was negative."

He ignored the twinge. Didn't want to focus on the fact that it felt a lot like disappointment. That would have made him even more of a selfish ass. Steph being pregnant would screw up her life enough. If it was his, she'd be in deep shit. At least with Morelli, she could be fairly certain he'd marry her. There had never been that implication with Ranger. In fact, he'd made it clear he didn't have any intention of altering his life plan to include marriage or pregnancy. No wonder she didn't want him to know. "But you felt the need to take it for a reason."

She looked like she was going to bolt. Cast a calculating glance at the window. Might have been wondering how fast she could launch herself down the fire escape before he could catch her. She let out a sigh. "I'm a few days late," she finally admitted.

"What's a few?"

"Four. Maybe five."

Five days late. Fuck. That was pretty significant. There could have been any number of possible explanations. Stress. Change in diet or exercise. Though, from what little he knew about it, being on the pill was supposed to regulate beyond other factors. There was always the chance the test was wrong. It takes a while for the hormones to build up. She might have taken it too early. And then, there was the chance that she'd ovulated late. That might have even moved the window of conception so that he couldn't possibly be the father, since they'd gone back to using condoms after the one night.

Which would mean Morelli could have gotten her pregnant.

A possibility that he had no right to hate the way he did.

They just stared at each other for a long time, neither of them moving. Not even when Steph's phone started to ring. It was after two in the morning. Only calls of life and death happened after two, and yet neither one of them could bring themselves to answer it. It stopped ringing for only a moment, and then it started again. Insistent. Steph finally picked it up. "Hello?"

A deep voice said something to her and panic flooded her face again. She held out the phone like she thought Ranger might bite her. Not good. And not just because someone at Rangeman needed him so badly that they dared to call him at Steph's place at two in the morning.

He took the phone and held it to his ear. "What?" If this was anything less than catastrophic, there would be serious consequences.

It was Tank. "Alvarez just killed his babysitter and slipped federal custody."

"When?"

"I got the call a couple minutes ago. They wouldn't give me details, since the case is need-to-know, but I could tell they're losing their shit over it. Insisted they needed you personally." There was an unspoken apology in there. _Otherwise I wouldn't have disturbed you while you were occupied._ Everyone at Rangeman knew he wouldn't be happy about being interrupted on the rare occasions he and Steph were alone together. No one would ever dare ask him about his relationship with Stephanie, not even Tank, but they all knew there was something between them.

Now there was a chance there was even more between them.

"What should I tell Carson?" Tank asked.

Tell him to go fuck himself.

Ranger tried not to frown. This was the last thing he needed right now. He was still watching Steph. Fear and uncertainly all over her face. If he left her now she'd shut down. Avoid him like the plague for days, maybe weeks.

Not that he really had a choice. Fucking Alvarez.

"I'll be right there." He disconnected and tossed the phone down on the bed, easily within her reach. "I have to go. We're not done here."

She could only stare at him as he turned to leave. Didn't say a word. Not that he gave her any opportunity. Truth is, he probably could have stayed for at least a few more minutes. Carson could shove his impatience up his ass. But if he was being honest with himself, he wasn't any more eager to discuss the implications of this than Steph was.

Things might have just gotten a hell of a lot more complicated between them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Tank was in the control room when he got back to Rangeman. He nodded to his friend. "I saw Steph's truck in the garage. When it wasn't in her parking lot tonight I just assumed it went boom."

"I confiscated it day before yesterday after she ditched her tracker at the mall and ended up in a one sided shootout with Damian Marquez."

Ranger raised an eyebrow, hiding the way his blood chilled. "And?"

"And she took him down like a screaming banshee when he ran out of ammo."

He fought a smile. God, she was incredible. She was also reckless. Could have gotten herself killed. Tank must have been following her too close. Steph hated anything that restricted her freedom, even if the restriction was implied. Which is why, as tempting as it was to keep her under guard, he knew he couldn't continue having her chauffeured. "Have Hector upgrade her GPS tracker and give her the truck back. And get a new one for her bag. Something discreet. Who was on her day shift?"

"Hal. She seems to like him. Lets him check her apartment without more than an eye roll. I figured that meant she was less likely to bolt. He even got invited into the Plum house for dinner."

This time Ranger couldn't hide his smile. He'd been there. Faced assassins that were less terrifying than dinner with the Plum family. "And?"

"The baby threw up on him."

Ranger let out a bark of laughter. Several guys turned to look at him in amazement. Probably assumed he wasn't capable of finding something funny.

"You want me to pull him back?" Tank asked. "She's had an eventful few days, but there haven't been any direct threats. Hal reported an incident yesterday involving one of her skips being high on PCP when they tried to take him down. Escaped custody and ended up taking a header off the second story of a parking garage. He's in Saint Francis. And Vincent Plum bonded out Marquez again after Stephanie took him down. He could be a problem."

The fact she might be pregnant was a bigger problem. He had an impulse to lock her down until they knew for certain one way or the other, but he knew that wasn't an option. Steph was fiercely independent. She'd resent him if he tried to hold her back like that. Especially since she would no doubt go into deep denial about her possible condition since the test was negative. "Double up, but give her her head. I don't want them to even look like they'll interfere unless they have to."

"We going dark?"

"No. I want her to know they're there. At least for the time being. Partner Hal with Ramon." He'd seen Steph hang out with those two before in the Rangeman lunch room. They were friends of sorts. The only men in his entire company she seemed to be comfortable with.

"Done. Anything else?"

"Yes. I want her treated like glass until further notice. Not so much as a trip and fall."

"That might be a tall order with Stephanie."

"I don't care. I see a bruise or a scrape or hear she tackled a skip, someone's getting fired. And I want that order to stay on down low. She's not to find out. Got it?"

Tank nodded. If he thought that was strange, he didn't say it. "Carson's waiting in your office."

Ranger acknowledged that. Might as well get this fucking shit show over with.

Jack Carson popped out of his seat when Ranger opened the door. His usually dickish expression even more severe. "What the fuck took you so long?"

Ranger raised an eyebrow at him. Gave him the long, feral stare. Carson swallowed. Remembered who he was dealing with. He always was a smart man. "What happened?"

"Cross and Hunter were transporting Alvarez to a safe house. He pulled some fucking stunt like he'd passed out and got Hunter's gun when he got too close. Shot Hunter in the leg and Cross twice in the chest. Ran away and left Cross to bleed out. I want that copkilling asshole back. Now."

Brilliant. Ranger hunted Alvarez for six days, backtracking and following markers while the clever bastard moved from one method of transit to another to try and keep him off balance. Sacrificing valuable time he could have been using to focus on other things he wanted. And the fucking FBI loses him in less than an hour. "Tell me you set up a perimeter."

"I'm not incompetent."

Again, Ranger didn't answer. Just held Carson's glare with a careful mask. Hiding the deep seated resentment he was trying not to feel. "Barring an escape route, his first instinct will be to go to ground. Start with his list of know associates—"

"No shit, Sherlock," Carson interrupted. "I didn't come to you because I needed you to hold my fucking hand, Manoso. I didn't want to be here at all. But the director trusts you to handle this shit without destroying the investigation we've spent the last three years and countless resources building."

"What the director trusts me to be is unconventional. Which is why I'm suggesting you use those nice shiny badges of yours to paint targets on his people. Make them untouchable. He's not going to them anyway, but it'll make enough of a statement that anyone else he might go to will think twice. He'll have to get creative to find safe harbor, and creative can lead to mistakes."

Carson's glare didn't waver. Despite the fact Ranger could see he was failing to find fault with that logic. "We tried covering his friends and family before. He still got away."

"But this time you have me and my resources _before_ he's slipped the grid. I've got ears places you don't. If he crosses the boundaries, I'll know about it."

The intercom buzzed. Control room. Ranger picked up the handset. Ram started speaking as soon as the line opened. "Sir, I've got an Agent Pritchard on the line, from the DEA. He wanted to talk to you about Alvarez."

Of course he did.

Question is whether it was because of his history tracking Alvarez or because someone heard the FBI had been in touch.

"Put him through." The line clicked with the transfer. Ranger heard it when the new connection opened. He listened for a second. Evaluating the silence on the other line. "Talk."

The silence snapped to attention. "Mr. Manoso?" Ranger didn't verify. But he didn't correct him either. The guy pushed on. "My name is Grant Pritchard. I'm with the DEA. I was hoping I could make an appointment to speak with you regarding an FBI asset named Juan Alvarez. I believe you're familiar with him?"

Answers that question. "We've crossed paths."

"Yes. Which is why I was hoping you might have some insight. I heard he escaped FBI custody."

Ranger didn't bother giving him the _can neither confirm nor deny_ statement. Grant Pritchard seemed to read it anyway.

"We'd like very much to recapture him," Pritchard went on. "He has a lot of valuable information about who's moving what in and out of Trenton. We're hoping he can help us trace what's causing a spike in drug related deaths so we can shut it down. I've got four victims in the last few weeks. Those are just the ones I can prove. And they weren't ODs. Something out there is killing people."

Carson was getting impatient again. Shifting on his feet. Ranger leaned back in his chair. Last thing he needed was for this to turn into a pissing contest over jurisdiction between the FBI and the DEA. But if Pritchard was right, there was even more at stake than they realized. Shit. Like this could get any worse. "My office. One o'clock." And then he hung up. Carson was watching him. "The DEA is expressing interest in your asset."

"Fuck. Trenton PD's been knocking on our doors for months trying to get a piece of him over some unsolved homicides. Now it's the fucking DEA. Like the intel we give them isn't good enough. You sure as shit better understand that if you catch Alvarez, you turn him over to me. He ends up with some DEA prick and we've got problems."

Ranger gave him the cold stare again. "You don't want problems with me, Jack. And you know it. You want my help, we do this my way."

It was clear from the distaste on Jack Carson's face that he wasn't happy with that. Good thing for him, he was smart enough not to argue.

Ranger called his resources after Carson left. Set up a perimeter of his own. If Alvarez set foot in public, or tried to leave Trenton, Ranger would hear about it. Then he paid a visit to Damian 'Skeezer' Marquez. He let himself into the rat's nest Skeezer was calling home. Stepped over the cronies that were passed out on the floor. Skeezer was alone in the back bedroom. Ranger caught his throat and ripped him off the bed, slamming his back into the floor. Skeezer grunted and cursed.

"Good. You're awake."

"Fuck!"

"Yeah," Ranger said, squeezing just enough to cause dread. Ignoring the hands that were tearing at his wrist. "I hear you have a problem with an associate of mine. Stephanie Plum."

"The bitch bounty hunter?"

Ranger's grip tightened until he heard a guttural choke. Non-verbal for _watched your tone_. "You don't want a problem with me, Damian. And you should know by now that if you have a problem with one of my people, that's exactly what you'll get."

"She's not your people."

"I say she is. Stephanie Plum is off limits to you and yours. Am I making myself clear? She's so much as bruised on your orders and I'll rain hellfire down on your head the likes of which you've never seen."

Skeezer swallowed against Ranger's grip. Impression made. Skeezer liked to play at being a big scary kingpin, but he was chickenshit at heart. And he knew well from past conversations that Ranger was not only a man of his word, he had the means to tear Skeezer's life down around his ears. Ranger struck him hard for emphasis and let him go. Stood over him for a long moment before he turned his back and walked out of the room.

o o o

Ranger spent the next few hours making house calls. Rousting Alvarez's friends from their beds in the early morning hours. Nothing. Not that Ranger had expected anything to turn up. Not this fast. He was just applying pressure. Creating an environment he could control. Alvarez was likely passed out in a hole somewhere. Unaware that his world was getting smaller by the minute. But the moment he surfaced, needed resources, he'd find out his ocean was suddenly a kiddie pool.

Ranger was spent by mid morning. Went back to Rangeman to crash for a few hours and grab some proper nutrition. Take a real shower before his meeting. Not only would he have to field the DEA, Jack Carson was showing up too. Must have realized playing nice was his only option.

Ranger came awake easily when his alarm chirped at noon. Solid four hours. Most people would probably be groggy, but that was all it really took for Ranger to feel good as new. Maybe there was something to this not being human thing.

He made coffee while he read the updated reports. Caffeine didn't really affect his body chemistry that all much. It was just a comforting habit. A simple pleasure at the beginning of the day that let him focus and take a breath. There hadn't been much need or opportunity for that either while he was on the road. Sometimes it was easy to take the well maintained life he'd made for himself here for granted. None of it was necessary, and Ranger knew all too well that there was a difference between a pleasure and a need, but it was nice to be at a point in his life that allowed for both.

He scrolled through the reports from Tank. Nothing new on Alvarez. Not surprising. A minor problem involving one of the Rangeman accounts. Resolved. A notification from Hal. Stephanie was on the move. Headed to the bond's office.

A tangible energy moved through his body.

Shit.

Of all the things that could fall out of the karmic fuck you pile, he'd never expected that one. It was fine when bad shit happened to him. It was something else to have it affect someone he cared about. And being forced to leave last night after what went down definitely affected them both. He'd need a good, solid reason to call her in now to stand a chance at pushing through the awkwardness. No way in hell would she face him without it.

He strolled through the rest of the reports. No mention of her hospitalized skip or his condition. He made a call. It wasn't good news. Avery Jessup was admitted with two broken legs, a dislocated wrist, head trauma, and a gunshot wound in the left shoulder. From Hal's report, Ranger knew the wrist was self inflicted. Pulled out of place when he broke Steph's cuffs. The bullet was Lula's doing. The rest was from the second story dive. But none of it had mattered in the end. Avery Jessup's death was marked as _drug related_. Not overdose. Whatever shit he'd been on had depressed his breathing. Slowed his heart until not enough oxygen was getting to his brain and it stopped working. Sounded a little too much like the drug Agent Pritchard had been talking about.

Damn. That was more than an excuse to call her in. That was a warning sign she was already a part of this. Steph was a magnet for disaster. And she had the investigative instincts of a terrier on a scent. She didn't know it yet, but she might already be wandering dangerously close to the edge of the viper's nest.

He sent her a text. _My office. 2pm._

This could go either way. Assuming she showed. Which, given her expression last night, wasn't all that likely. Better hedge his bets. He called Ramon.

"Yeah boss?"

"I need you to see Stephanie makes a meeting in my office at 2pm this afternoon."

"You got it. She's after a skip right now. Looks like an easy pick up."

"How's her attitude?"

"Pissy. Don't think she likes that we're following her."

"Keep on her, but stay distant unless she needs assistance."

"I know. Like glass, right? We're on it, boss."

Ranger disconnected. He couldn't keep this up. Not only was he bleeding money by putting two men on her, he was pushing buttons that were better left untouched. Steph hated the babysitting, and she'd already been at it a week while he was in the wind. To the point she'd given them the slip and ended up facing off with the head of one of Trenton's ugliest street gangs.

What he really needed was to bring her into his investigation. Make use of her talents and her insight in a way that would let him keep an eye on her. And then hell would freeze over. Because that was about as likely as Steph partnering with him after he might have knocked her up.

Fuck.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

He'd been hoping the feds would be briefed and gone by the time two o'clock rolled around. Should have known better. They spent half the time measuring their metaphoric dicks. Trying to prove priority. As if there would be a clear winner between a dangerous drug outbreak and a murdered FBI agent.

The handle on his office door clicked, metal on metal, before it inched open. Steph. Uncharacteristically punctual. Must have been Ramon's doing.

Ranger shut down the second he saw her and the words _mother of my child_ flicked across his frontal cortex. Fuck. Not the way to keep his head. He shoved the unproductive thoughts away. This was neither the time nor the place for their personal issues, especially since the chances of it being true were small.

Not impossible, but small.

Steph looked in at him and he could see her blind panic. She thought he'd called her in to answer for it. Christ. As if it would have been her fault alone. "Shut the door behind you."

She stepped into the room and shut the door like she was giving up her last chance of escape. For a long moment, all they could do was stare at each other.

Then Pritchard spoke, breaking the tension. "Who the hell is this?"

It had been more curious than accusatory. Otherwise Ranger might have been annoyed. Steph jumped out of her skin. She'd been too focused on him to notice their audience. The second her shock wore off, her eyes got sharp again, scanning the men like she was trying to figure them out. From the look on her face, she picked up on her own that they were feds. That made him proud.

Carson was frowning, but Ranger ignored him. "Steph, this it Jack Carson. He's FBI. And Grant Prichard here is DEA. Gentlemen, this is Miss Plum."

"I know who she is," Carson said. Not exactly a generous tone. Of course, most of the agents in the Trenton FBI office knew who she was. There had been a lot of talk after she'd come back upstairs from the altercation with an insane mercenary in the FBI parking garage a couple weeks ago. Ranger had gotten a call right after she collapsed in the middle of the office, covered in blood. Not all of it hers.

He hadn't seen the footage until after. Steph was an animal. If it weren't for the fact she could have been killed, he might have been turned on by the way she ripped into the guy.

Hell. Now that the bruises had faded, he kind of was.

"Time's pressing here," Carson said. "Maybe your personal business could wait."

"Miss Plum isn't here on personal business," Ranger said, throwing him a warning look. He turned deliberately back to Stephanie. "I contacted the hospital this morning after I talked to Tank. Avery Jessup died, and it wasn't because of the fall."

"Is that what the call was about?"

"No. He called to let me know that Juan Alvarez escaped from federal custody again last night."

Both Carson and Pritchard went still. Carson's eyes darkened. He was high strung on a good day. Add the personal loss of a fellow agent and he was running redline. "Your involvement in this case was supposed to stay off book, Manoso, so it doesn't fuck with my investigation, and you read in your girlfriend?"

Pregnant girlfriend.

Shit. He needed to keep his fucking thoughts in check.

Ranger pulled back and turned all of his frustration onto Carson. Judging from the man's expression, it was a fucking lot of frustration. "You asked for me with the understanding that I would have the full support of Rangeman behind me. That includes Stephanie."

"She's a bounty hunter."

"She's a gifted investigator with good intuition and no off switch."

"And what expertise is the Bombshell Bounty Hunter going to offer us?"

Ranger's iron will was slipping. It was already hard enough ignoring the fact that the woman who'd crawled so far under his skin might have a part of him inside her. Add the indignation of hearing her disrespected right in front of him and he was very close to losing his cool. "Steph," he said without releasing Carson from his death stare. "Why don't you share what you know about Avery Jessup."

She hesitated a second. Not quite sure where he was going. "Twenty-three-year-old African-American male, lived on the third block of Stark Street with his girlfriend, Lorena Crawly. He was arrested last week for aggravated assault after he bit a homeless man in the throat under the overpass where he'd been staying since the girlfriend kicked him out. Went FTA two days ago. When I went to pick him up, he was acting weird and bit my partner Lula before Hal and I could apprehend him. He had his hands cuffed behind his back and flexi-cuffs on his ankles, but he managed to break out of both and escape. I called it in to Joe Morelli. He works crimes against persons now, but he used to be vice. He said Jessup was most likely on PCP."

"Do you know where he got it?" Prichard asked. He'd been quiet since Steph had come in.

She glanced at him like she'd forgotten he was there. "I don't. But he had a long history of marijuana use. That's it. Nothing stronger. And the arrest report only listed two joints in his possession."

Pritchard inched forward on his seat. "That would mean they're still in evidence. We could have them tested to confirm your contact's theory. It's not uncommon for marijuana to be laced with other drugs. Dealers do it without telling their customers sometimes so they can increase demand. There are a lot of street names for it. Dust, chronic—"

"Mooner said he'd heard there was some bad chronic out there," she interrupted, her bright eyes flashing. "He said the stuff coming up from Mexico had some bad juju on it."

Now she had the attention of the whole room. The possibility of the outbreak being related to the Mexican cartels had been batted around, but there hadn't been any whispers to back it up. Until now.

"Who's Mooner?"

"One of her confidential informants," Ranger answered before Steph had a chance to give anything away. Walter Dunphy was her friend. Dragging him into the middle of a DEA investigation wasn't the most responsible move. He turned back to Carson and Pritchard. "I don't need to justify my methods to you. But as you can see, even without being fully briefed she's still capable of finding leads that you haven't in six weeks with full agency support. Now, do you still want to whine about it? Or can we put on our big boy pants and move on?"

Prichard leaned back in his seat. "I'm good."

Carson wasn't. "She's your asset. Your responsibility."

"I never assumed otherwise," Ranger said.

It took Carson a second to realize he didn't have much of a choice. He finally shrugged. "How you get the information is your business. Just make sure this stays confidential. I still have to build a case on solid ground, with evidence that will hold up in court. If your girlfriend blunders through and poisons my trees, I won't be happy."

If his girlfriend did anything, Carson wasn't going to be happy. Christ. It was moments like this when he wished she actually was his girlfriend, instead of just the woman he'd gotten attached to. There would have been some comfort in knowing he could claim her for his own outside of his building. Especially if the test was wrong.

Fuck.

He nodded to Carson and Pritchard and they understood they were being dismissed. They retreated, leaving the thick blanket of tension to settle over the room again the second he and Stephanie were alone.

"What did I just audition for?" she asked, still watching the door.

Ranger scanned her carefully. Trying not to think about things he shouldn't. "There are three different law enforcement agencies involved in this. DEA, FBI, and local PD. All three are fighting over the same piece of pie."

"Alvarez."

Ranger nodded. "Each agency is focused on a different aspect of the case, and none of them are particularly good at sharing. They're busy staking out claims, and meanwhile someone is pumping a whole lot of dangerous drugs into the area."

"Why did they come to you, if they're so worried about poisoned trees?"

"Because I have access to people who won't talk to law enforcement. The information is more valuable to them than making low level arrests. Right now, they're all but blind. DEA wasn't even sure of the delivery method or possible source until you pointed it out."

"How did you know I would?"

"I didn't."

She turned to gape at him. "You went out on a limb for me and you didn't even know if I had anything?"

A light broke through his mood. That shouldn't have surprised her. Ranger hadn't really lived a life designed to avoid taking risks. "Let's just say you have a track record. And an uncanny ability to surprise me."

She bit her lip.

"Are you going to be comfortable helping me with this?" he asked.

She nodded, numb. "I'm just a little thrown. I thought this was about the other thing."

Ranger shut himself down before anything could make it out of his mouth. If he got into this with her now he was going to say all kinds of things he couldn't take back. Things he might not even regret, despite the fact that he should. "One problem at a time."

"Omigod. That's why you doubled down instead of pulling them back. It wasn't because of Jessup or Skeezer. It was because of the test."

Yep. Deep denial. "Babe, you're five days late," he reminded her. "There could be a lot of reasons that test was negative. Could be there are other factors involved, but it can also take weeks for HGC levels to get high enough to register. I think it would be unwise to make assumptions of any kind based on conflicting evidence. Until we have more definitive information, you're Schrödinger's box."

It was something he'd known already, even before he'd done research. There weren't any statistics to tell him what the chances were. But he knew the longer she was late, the more likely it was that she was carrying his child.

Something he had no business having an opinion on.

Shit.

She was making a face just shy of a grimace. "You know I'm not pregnant, right?"

If he knew that for certain he wouldn't be going ten rounds with himself in his own fucking head. And at the worst possible time, too. But then, Steph didn't understand that. She didn't bother hiding her emotions. Had no interest in keeping control unless something more important was on the line. It was one of the things he loved best about her. He let that lift his mood, just a little. "I've got a clusterfuck to sort out and a fugitive to find. Until we know more, I'm going on business as usual. Just with a little more caution. I suggest you do the same."

"Does this mean I'm stuck with Hal and Ramon?"

This time his smile won. "If I pull them back, can I trust you not to get in any drag out fights with dangerous men that might throw you down the stairs?"

"I'm not that much of a train wreck."

"Babe."

She frowned again. Of course she was. He loved her anyway, but there was no point denying that she was a disaster sometimes. "I could do my best," she offered.

"You're going to have to do better than that."

"Like what? Are you going to make me stop skip tracing?"

"No. I doubt it would do any good to ask that, even if I thought it was necessary. But maybe you could let Lula do the tackling for a couple days. And actually call me if you have any heavy lifting to do."

"You mean like moving furniture?" she asked with an innocent smile. Smartass.

"I mean like Skeezer Marquez. Or anyone else who's likely to try and do damage. Who do you have that's outstanding?"

"A domestic violence, a possession with intent, and a couple assaults."

"Who are the assaults?"

She pulled out the files. "Terry Kroychek was arrested for swinging a baseball bat at her ex. And Ronald Walker started a fight in a bar. Put a guy in the hospital."

The angry girlfriend wasn't likely to lash out at Stephanie. They might even bond over what pricks men are. The brawler might be a problem, though. "Would you be willing to take Hal with you when you pick up Walker?"

"I'll think about it. You're not worried about the wife beater?"

"Should I be? You've taken down a lot of wife beaters. With prejudice. They usually make the mistake of underestimating you. Though, if he's over 200lbs, you might want to call in for assistance after you stun gun him. What have you done on the possession?"

"Not much."

"Keep me in the loop on that one if it looks like it might relate to Alvarez. In the mean time, I have Tank preparing files for you to get you up to speed. Any breaks you see or information you find needs to come directly to me, even if you're not sure it's relevant. There are too many players in this game, and I don't want to take any chances." He looked up from the files and met her vibrant, bright blue eyes. The ones that he always felt saw though him even when he was hiding the most. There was something about her that made his chest warm. It was tight now too. Like the hold she had on him threatened to squeeze his breath away whenever he thought of losing her. "I want you close on this one. Alvarez is dangerous. He killed an FBI agent when he escaped custody last night, and I haven't heard any whispers of him fleeing the area. Right now, he's a snake in tall grass."

"Why do you want me on it if he's so dangerous?"

"Because I meant what I said about the off-switch. Knowing you, you'll end up involved anyway. At least this way I can keep an eye on you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Ranger hung back when Steph stepped out of his office into the control room. He shut the door behind her. This wasn't going to go well. It was hard enough to do the right thing when it was just the two of them. He refused to think what it would mean if there were three. Before Hawaii, the idea of being with her had been more distant. They'd had a few brief encounters. A lot of flirting. He had strong feelings for her, had for a long time, but the dynamic he'd focused on had been more physical. Deep friendship and trust that happened to come with a searing sexual attraction.

But now.

He should have expected things to change between them in Hawaii. It'd happened after the first night they ever spent together, too. When the power driving his urges had moved from concept to reality and he'd grown attached to her before he even realized it was possible. In Hawaii he learned firsthand what it was like to have her all to himself. He'd gotten used to sleeping beside her after they'd made love. Pouring over her body all night, day after day. Giving into his selfish need to hold her and love her until he was forced to face the fact that his solitary life felt just a little too solitary.

He knew he couldn't keep her. It wasn't good for her. Wasn't fair to consider dragging her into the empty darkness that made up his life just because she was the only light in it. And yet here he was. Not only thinking about it, but contemplating the possibility that he might have made a child with her that would be subjected to the same unjust life. At least Steph would have had a choice. She understood who he was, if not all of the things he had done. But a child…

Fuck. He really was a selfish ass. The dragon who fell in love with the princess.

Ranger looked down at the running status reports on his phone. Carson and Pritchard were leaving the building. That left Steph here, most likely getting the files from Tank. A minute of resistance did nothing. He opened his door and stepped out into the control room.

Steph's back was to him. Her spine straightened just a bit when she felt his eyes. She always did. Had an uncanny ability to sense when he was watching her. She didn't turn, though. She accepted the files from Tank and moved toward the elevator. No casting a flirtatious eye his way. No cute smile or finger wave.

He should have been relieved that she was over whatever it was that had been between them. But he wasn't. Instead, he found himself hoping that she'd go back to normal once the tension eased. Because that hope was the only thing that kept him from marching into the elevator, pressing her against the wall, and dragging her upstairs into his lair.

The elevator doors opened. Hal was standing inside. He didn't step out. Just stood there waiting for her like he'd been ordered. She moved in beside him and Ramon took up his place at her other side as if they were a pair of overprotective bodyguards. They were, but he was going to have to have a talk with them about discretion. Steph's eyes cut to him from between the men he'd assigned to protect her and whatever else she might have on board. She was waiting for him to keep his promise to call them off.

He didn't like it. But he tried never to break promises to her. After a second, he eyed his men and tipped his head, indicating that they should step away. Her relief was profound. Like she'd had a two hundred pound orangutan jump down from her back. The light came back to her eyes and she actually smiled at him. Gave him a little finger wave as the doors slid shut.

God, he loved her.

He stood there watching her on the monitors for a minute while she rode the elevator to the parking garage alone. She stepped out and he followed her onto another monitor. Her truck was parked in one of his personal spaces by the elevator and stairwell doors. Standard procedure. Everyone in his building knew she belonged to him. They knew little else, but the fact that he didn't have to hide his attachment to her in front of his men was a small consolation, considering how complicated things were.

There were a few of them gathered around the monitors now. Tank over his shoulder. Hal and Ramon on the other side. Ram and Nollen on the control desk. No one said a word when she started searching the truck, but he could feel the way they all stilled. Watching in curious fascination. She was looking for the GPS unit. Ranger held tight to the smile he felt pulling at his mouth.

Babe.

Of course she would feel the need to find it. Insatiable wasn't just an attribute he could ascribe to her in bed. She was also overly curious, and she had a sense of pride that didn't like to be pushed aside or discounted. She must have taken it personally that he'd had the GPS moved. Like he didn't trust her with it.

Considering that she'd removed it only a few days ago, that couldn't really surprise her.

He wondered with mild amusement what he would do if she found the unit and left it in the garage. There was still a unit in her bag, so she wouldn't be off grid, but there would have to be some repercussions for open defiance. Maybe he would need to teach her a lesson. Bend her over his knee and spank her.

The smile won, lifting one corner of his mouth as well as his mood. He was in such deep shit, and he couldn't even bring himself to regret it.

She pulled the little device from under the wheel well on the left rear quarter panel. Moment of truth. The men around him stood frozen. No doubt watching him to see if he'd be angry. Little did they know. Steph could be frustrating sometimes, but the fact that she refused to bend to his will had always turned him on. The smile wasn't the only physical response he was suppressing. She put the unit back and waved up at the camera like the little smartass she was. There were some chuckles from his ranks before they all realized that might not go over well and started to wander away.

Ranger stood there until she pulled out of the garage. Wishing he'd dragged her upstairs anyway.

He went back to his office to look over the reports Carson and Pritchard had left for him. Pritchard had next to nothing. Some flagged tox screens, a few coroners' reports. He did have a decent flow chart showing the hierarchy of the Trenton drug rings. Mostly street names. Very few pictures. Ranger's was better, but Pritchard's wasn't bad, considering he was law enforcement.

Carson's report was more useful. It detailed everything Alvarez had told them since he'd turned state's evidence. Most of it was related to the trafficking of drugs and arms to the Mexican cartels. He had a lot of information most mid-level drug pushers wouldn't have. Names and rendezvous locations. Shipping lines. The FBI had been able to make quite a few arrests based on his intel. Most of them connected to the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels. In fact, the Gulf cartel had been all but crippled because of it. Fragmenting enough to lessen their power.

Easy to see why the FBI had asked him to hunt Alvarez down when he first disappeared. Might even explain why he'd cut and run in the first place. Looked like he'd made some powerful enemies the last few years.

Voices picked up in the control room. A typical response to something going sideways. Might have been an account getting hit. His instincts were whispering to him, though. That only happened when Steph was involved. He opened his office door. "Report."

"Stephanie's vehicle went dark. We're trying to reach her, but she's not answering."

Fuck. She'd only been gone ten minutes. The chances that she'd retrieved the unit and shut if off were slim. She'd never done it before. That meant something had happened to the truck. Not unusual when it came to Stephanie. Karma got creative when it came to taking out her rides. He looked at her last known location. The truck had been parked in front of the bonds office. The secondary unit was still transmitting from inside.

Ranger called her on speedial. There would already be a man on the way to her location. Standard procedure when her signal dropped. The line was ringing. Hadn't gone straight to voicemail. At least the phone was intact. It was possible she just wasn't answering. The line finally opened after the third ring. "What?"

He started breathing again. She sounded irritated and impatient, but at least she didn't sound hurt. "Babe? You alright? The GPS dropped on your truck."

She was quiet a second. Then he heard a whispered curse. Steph didn't swear all that often anymore. Just when she was upset. It was even rarer for her to whisper it without realizing she'd said it out loud. "Little problem with that. It was kind of taken out in a drive by."

"In front of the bond's office?"

"Yeah. Some gangbangers in a piece of shit El Camino. I'm thinking they work for Skeezer."

"Anyone hurt?"

"Just my truck."

It took a good deal of his concentration to keep his anger in check. When he got hands on that worthless parasite, Skeezer Marquez was going to end up bleeding. "Why didn't you answer when the control room called?"

"Because I was busy strangling Vinnie."

And just like that, her light sliced through his dark mood again. He fought a smile at the image of her hands around her weasel cousin's neck. "Lucky for him it was you and not me. Do you need a replacement?"

She didn't answer right away. Weighing her options. She never took cars from him lightly. Despite the fact that he offered them with no strings and no expectations. To him, they were nothing but tools that kept her safe while she ran around doing the dangerous job she loved. They were expendable. She was not.

Steph didn't look at them quite like that, though. She saw the street value. Worried how much money he would lose when it inevitably went up in smoke. She never believed him when he said that he didn't care about the money. Her life couldn't be valued in terms of money, or time, or trouble.

That and the way the deal was written, it didn't really cost him all that much. He'd never told her the details of where his cars come from. Just that he had an arraignment. Cars for services. He wondered what she would say if he told her the only real monetary hit he took was in his insurance premiums.

Then again, he didn't want to bring that up either. She might feel bad if she knew he paid extra just to keep her on the plan. They'd tried to kick her off a few times, but he'd made it pretty clear that her inclusion was nonnegotiable.

"Thanks for the offer, but no, I don't need a replacement. Most of the damage was to the back. I'm pretty sure it'll still drive."

"Babe. Are you suggesting your gonna drive around in a truck riddled with bullet holes?"

She seemed to think better of that. He had no doubt she'd meant it. And if he was being honest, it probably wasn't the worst condition she'd ever driven around with. "I've got some savings from catching The Rug," she finally said. "I'll get a new one."

"Call it in when you do."

"Willdo. Wouldn't want to have me off grid for more than a few minutes, right?"

"Babe."

He disconnected, fighting to keep the smile on the inside. He had an image to maintain. Both Ram and the new hire, Nollen, were on the desk. Ram had the phone to his ear. "Vince is on her location, but he hasn't approached. You want him to tail her or back off?"

He had to think about that a second. He'd promised Steph that he'd pull back. Trust her to handle herself like they both knew she could. She didn't seem to understand how hard it was for him to take that leap of faith. Especially given her possible condition. "What does he see on scene?"

Ram relayed the question. "The truck was the primary target. It was clear there was no one in it. A couple bullets went through and shattered the bay windows of the bonds office, but they were strays. They weren't looking to take out people."

Of course they weren't. Because Skeezer knew if they did Ranger would hunt him down and beat the shit out of him before he dragged him in and turned over enough evidence to put him away for life. Assuming Steph was fine. If something were to happen to her, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't lose his shit and end up with bodies to dispose of. "Stupid son of a bitch thought he was being clever. Have Vince stay dark until she's in for the night. Then he can resume his duties." Ram nodded and turned back to the phone. Ranger cut a dark look to Tank. "Seems Skeezer needs a reminder who he's dealing with. I want you to take two men down to Stark and make it known I want a word. Put the fear of God into him. Just because I specified the hell I'd rain down on him if she was so much as bruised doesn't mean he can get away with damaging her personal property. He took out her truck in a fucking drive-by."

"He always was a little pissant motherfucker," Tank said. "You want a personal message spread through the vine?"

"Yeah. Tell him he can run but he can't hide."

Tank nodded with a fair amount of satisfaction. He liked Steph too. He'd have liked her even if he hadn't noticed the positive effect she'd had on Ranger the last few years. Add the fact he'd realized his best friend was in love with her, and it pretty much secured her right at the top of his favorite people list. Tank recruited Hal and Cal with little more than a gesture and they fell into step behind him. Ranger turned back to the new guy. "Are you up to speed?" he asked. Nollen nodded. Unsure. Probably hadn't expected to have such an eventful first day. "Good. Keep on her signal and log her position at every stop. Make sure Vince is within a quarter mile at all times."

He heard Nollen's assent, but he didn't wait. He just turned his back and walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Turned out business as usual was easier said than done. Even with Ranger's tight schedule. He checked his feed periodically. Vince was good at detail. Always had been. Which meant that Ranger knew Steph bought a little silver Audi at the used car dealership. Took it to her parents' house to show it off. They must have been thrilled. Usually the nice cars she drove were leased to Rangeman. Steph always saw those as temporary. Didn't think she had any right to borrow his cars, even when they were sleeping together. He could only guess it was because he didn't do relationships. If she was his girlfriend, she might feel differently. About a lot of things.

Depending on how things went, there was a chance he'd find out.

His office door opened. Ranger gave him a fractional nod when his big friend filled the doorway, shutting it behind him. Tank took the nod for the question that it was. "He didn't show his face. As expected. But his lieutenant seemed surprised to hear you'd had a little heart to heart this morning. Wasn't told Steph was one of ours."

"I take it he was more compliant than Skeezer."

"We made a very persuasive argument."

Ranger let the dark laugh ease out. He knew his friend well enough to read between the lines. Usually when men as big as Tank did the enforcer thing, they made an impression. Have the 6'6" wall of dark muscle backed up by a 6'4" former Marine and a 6'5" street fighter with a flaming skull tattooed on his forehead and you're going to have some wet pants. "Anybody bleed?"

"Just the man at the door and a couple underlings not smart enough to stand down. It's no guarantee they're gonna stay smart, but Steph should be good at least until the piss dries."

If Ranger was lucky, the show of force down on Stark would be enough to keep the wolves at bay longer than that. Unfortunately, luck hadn't exactly been on his side recently. In fact karma had pretty much been giving him the finger. "They make any suggestion on where Skeezer's hiding?"

"No. But they promised to pass along the message. I'd bet he takes his sweet time surfacing. It would be the smart thing to do."

"Since when is Skeezer smart?"

"Good point. You want to give her a full time shadow?"

"Not yet. Have Ram monitor the cameras on the front and back entrances of her building when Vince goes back on patrol. If anything suspicious rolls in, send someone over. Otherwise, let her have her breathing room. She can handle it."

Tank nodded and let himself out. Leaving Ranger alone with the thoughts he shouldn't have.

He spent the evening catching up on paperwork and following leads. Alvarez hadn't surfaced. Neither had Skeezer. He was picking up a general feeling of discontent, though, from his contacts on the street. Like there was a void in the chatter. Reading Trenton was like looking at a crime scene. It wasn't just about what you saw. Sometimes it was more important what you didn't see. And in this case, he wasn't seeing a clear path in the tainted merchandise. It seemed to be everywhere. No obvious source. He called Gregorio. That man had a talent for finding things that bordered on supernatural. If something bad was brewing, he'd be able to run it down.

It was three in the morning by the time Ranger got around to Steph's apartment building.

To be honest, he could have gone over earlier. He just knew it wasn't a good idea after what happened last night. It had been a stupid move, climbing into her bed like that. Even if they both wanted it. It would be beyond stupid to do it again now that he knew about their situation. It would muddy the waters. Make it harder to set up boundaries, depending on how things panned out.

A fact he wished he could ignore.

He also could have sent Hector over with the GPS instead and stayed the hell away. But then, that wouldn't have given him an excuse to check on her again. He should have felt bad that he was so obsessed with her. Couldn't even leave her alone when he knew he should. And yet, when he pulled into her lot and saw the lights on in her living room, shame wasn't the emotion that came to the surface.

She was still up.

He knew she wasn't waiting for him. She had no idea that he had planned to drop by. But it was hard not to wonder if some part of her was hoping he'd let himself in like he had so many times. Like he had last night. Just the thought of it made the impulse sharper.

Things were complicated between them. Always had been. But there were also things between them that couldn't be simpler. Like the chemistry. And the desire. And how all the shit stopped mattering when he was with her.

He slipped the driver's door open on her new Audi and put the GPS unit under her seat. The Audi didn't fit the usual mold of cars she bought for herself. Mostly she ended up in rust buckets that looked likely to catch fire even without her help. Must be because she made so much off catching The Rug. He knew he'd been right to insist she take the full bounty, since she did all the work in the end. Money well spent, if this is the result.

After a little half-hearted arguing with himself, he took the stairs up to her apartment. Let himself in. Her hamster Rex was running in his wheel. Ranger couldn't help the smile. Steph didn't know it, but that wasn't the same hamster she'd had when they first met. Considering how smart she was, it could only be willful ignorance that let her ignore that fact. Hamsters only lived for three years. And she'd already had him a while the first time she came to stay in the apartment at Rangeman. Ella had called him one day while Steph was out. Upset that Stephanie's pet had died. Steph would have been devastated. She loved that hamster. He'd asked Ella to find a replacement, figuring it would soften the blow when Steph noticed. Except she never did. At least not in any way she was willing to acknowledge.

Rex the second should have at least another year left. Then he might have to look around for Rex the third.

Ranger found Steph bent over Tank's files at the end of her dining room table, next to her open computer. She'd fallen asleep in the middle of research. Her terrier instincts driving her to get through days worth of material in a single night. She really didn't have an off switch.

He gathered her up and carried her into the bedroom, her arms sliding around his neck with a soft murmur. Her lips brushed his skin. An accident, considering she was sound asleep. That didn't lessen the power it had over his body. He laid her down and removed her shoes and socks. Tugged her jeans down over her hips until he could remove them, leaving those beautiful, long legs shining white in the semidarkness, only a hint of tan showing as evidence of their time together in Hawaii.

He lifted her up just enough to unclasp her bra so that he could slip it off, leaving her in just her red t-shirt and panties. An enticing sight. Especially after climbing into her bed last night. He couldn't deny it was tempting to climb in next to her. Fall asleep with her in his arms. A hand holding her breast. Or spread out over her belly.

He cut off the thoughts. Covered her with the blanket and tucked it in around her. Brushed a kiss to her forehead before he left her bedroom.

He tried really hard not to do things that were stupid. He only seemed to make exceptions when Steph was involved. And this was the mother of all stupid things. If, by some cruel twist of fate, Steph was actually pregnant, life as she knew it would be over. He had no business thinking about what it would mean for him. Just because Rachel chose to have the baby they'd made didn't mean Steph would. And could he really blame her if she didn't?

But if she did.

God. He tried to shut it down, but the thought had already crossed his mind.

What would she expect from him if she chose to keep it?

Rachel hadn't asked for much. Offering marriage had been his idea. She'd known it was just out of duty, and she'd accepted the limitations. Never expected him to be a real husband. Their marriage had saved her the stigma of telling her devoutly catholic family and friends that she was going to be an unwed mother. And if he was being honest, he'd saved face with his own family too by marrying her. Even if the marriage lasted less than a year.

But Steph. It was impossible to know what she would want. She was so unpredictable. Reckless. Unconventional. Even if he were to offer marriage, he wasn't sure she'd accept. That would probably be the worst move he could make anyway, considering the direction their lives were moving.

She'd have to take financial support. Refusing him wasn't an option. But beyond that, what she wanted from him would be up to her. He'd stayed distant from his daughter Julie. If that was what Steph wanted, he would give it to her. And if she wanted more…

God. If she wanted more.

He watched her doorway for a long moment before he backtracked to the kitchen. Wrote her a note about the GPS. It was a simple gesture. One he knew she would appreciate. It was the least he could do, considering what he might have gotten her into.

If she wanted more, he didn't know what he could give her. It wasn't productive to worry about it at this point anyway. When she knew what she wanted, she would have it. Within reason. He still had to protect her, even from herself. Because he might be able to sleep with her, maybe even live with her, and still force himself to step back when her involvement with him became painful. But if he married her and claimed her for his own in front of God and their families and the world? She'd have to want a divorce a whole fucking lot for him to let go.

Given what she didn't know about him, that was a possibility.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

He didn't sleep well that night. Not with the unwanted thoughts that kept running in fruitless circles through his head. Six days now. She would be six days late. Making things just a little more likely. If this went on too long, she was going to need another test. Or better yet, a doctor's appointment.

He rubbed a hand over his face. Wishing she were in the bed next to him instead of halfway across town. He missed her. The way she smelled. The way she tasted. The warm feel of her nestled against him. The soft coo she made when his touch excited her.

Knowing with complete certainty that she was safe because she was in his arms.

How much of a fucking bastard would it make him if there was a part of him that hoped she was pregnant? A part of him that wanted a reason, any reason, to claim her for his own. That wanted to wake up next to her every day. See her cute little clothes in his closet, mixed in with the black. Liked the idea of getting up for work and finding little lace panties on the floor. Wondered what a child might look like. If she would have his dark skin, or her mother's blue eyes.

Enough. That was enough. He'd let himself have a moment, but it was done now. No one can predict the future. There are too many variables. Too many unseen consequences that could alter the way things played out. It had happened to him before. Too many times. In fact, Steph was the most unpredictable variable in his life. She was chaos. An undeniable force that he had no ability to control. It made her fun, and he loved her for it. But it made her dangerous. Because he craved her now. To the point where he couldn't imagine a future without her in it. Which was bad, considering he tried never to imagine the future at all. Just as he tried not to dwell on the past. The present was tangible.

Controllable.

Constant.

In a sick way, it was easier when she was with Morelli. He didn't have to look at things like this when she was. Didn't have to think about what could be. She was where she belonged and anything that happened between them was just a game. The thrill of chasing a woman he knew would never be his. Now he had to consider it for real. And the scariest part was that it wasn't as scary as it should have been.

Ranger shoved the blankets aside and got out of the big empty bed. Shutting down his emotions until they were nothing more than background noise. A skill he'd learned in the military, where distractions could be fatal. There was no point in trying to solve a problem if you couldn't affect the outcome. The only thing he could do is keep her happy and safe. Wait it out. Time would tell if further action had to be taken. And if time didn't tell him soon, another test might.

Ranger showered and dressed. Checked the logs before he headed out to oversee the install on a high profile security system. He was on his way back when his phone started ringing. Control room.

"I've got an anomaly in Stephanie's movements," Ram said when he answered through the Turbo's Bluetooth. "She's in a sketchy neighborhood off of Olden, but she didn't stop by the bonds office or Lula's building. Unless Lula is meeting her there, she's on her own. Do you want me to send a car?"

"No. I'm not far from there. Send me the address."

Less than 24 hours after she'd promised to be more careful and she was already going after a skip by herself. If she kept this up, he was going to have to assign her a partner again, whether she liked it or not.

She was walking toward the front door of a rundown postage stamp house when he pulled to the curb. For just a second she looked pleased to see him. And then reality kicked in again and she turned a delicate shade of green. He couldn't blame her for the response. It had to be pretty awkward seeing him. Even if she was in deep denial.

He angled out of the Turbo and shut the door. "I'm betting this isn't a social call."

"Mini Velasquez is staying here. I thought I'd just invite her to reschedule her court date."

"And you didn't think you should bring Lula?" Like they'd agreed.

"Mini's only 5 feet tall. Seemed like overkill. What are you doing here?"

"I got a call from the control room when they saw you break from your normal pattern. Thought it was worth checking out."

"What do you mean break from my normal pattern?"

He tried not to smile, but it got to him anyway. "You're unpredictable, Babe. But even you have patterns. If you stray off the beaten path, you're usually after a skip, and since you didn't head to the bonds office or pick up Lula, that meant you were alone."

She frowned. Didn't like that he'd figured her out. "Do you have patterns?"

He searched those bright eyes of hers, the smile pulling at his mouth. She really didn't know. It amazed him sometimes that she was so clueless when it came to his addiction to her. He'd seen his GPS routes. The ones recorded by the Rangeman computers. It was human nature to fall into patterns. They showed up in well worn shapes on the map of Trenton. He'd learned over the years how to deviate his so that his enemies wouldn't be able to predict his movements, but it was hard to deny that even his map had two hotspots on it. Rangeman and Steph's apartment.

But he wasn't about to tell her that. "So, what's the plan here?"

"I was just going to knock on the door. See if she's home."

"And then?"

"Figured I'd play it by ear."

"Babe."

"What? You have a better plan?"

"I always have a better plan."

"Yeah, but your plans are for high stakes bonds. Bust down the door and throw them against the wall if they resist arrest. Mini's barely worth pizza money, and she's not likely to be dangerous."

"Humor me."

"Alright, fine," she said, stepping back from the door. "Be my guest."

He almost smiled. "Smartass. How about you do your thing here. I'll cover the back."

She didn't object to that. Not that he gave her much chance. He cut through the bushes to the backyard. It was only slightly bigger than the front. Fenced in with waist high chain link. The house didn't show any signs of activity. He listened at the backdoor. Steph knocked. Nothing. No dogs barking. No footsteps moving on the stairs. No FTAs sprinting for an exit or climbing out a window. He let himself in and crossed the house in just a few steps. Not a soul. He opened the front door. "Nobody home."

She stared at him for a second and he had the urge to kiss her. His hand snatched a fistful of her navy blue shirt around the strap of her messenger bag and dragged her inside. The outline of her body collided with his and the searing shock was enough to remind him of a few things. Not the least of which being that they were breaking and entering. A thought that was second to the unease in her eyes. She lost her balance when she bounced off his chest. He steadied her, and then took a respectful step back, turning his attention to the room. As much of his attention as he could, anyway.

"She might be staying, but she doesn't live here. Not a lot of personal effects. I suggest we split up. Cover more ground. You want top or bottom?"

He couldn't resist. Judging from the way she rolled her eyes, she'd caught the double entendre. He knew he shouldn't still be playing with her like that, but it was nice to see the way it lightened her mood. Put her a little more at ease. Maybe she wasn't as upset with him as he thought.

"I'll take top," she volunteered. "Wouldn't want you going through her underwear and getting ideas."

And there it was. The flirty smile. God. Was she actually flirting with him? Even though he might have screwed up her life in a very literal way? "You usually like it when I get ideas."

"Do I?" she asked. The light twinkle was unmistakable this time. She was definitely flirting with him. A grin spread across his face. She made a cute little grimace and backed off an instant later, hurrying up the stairs just short of a run, but in that one moment he'd felt their usual chemistry. Even the way she chickened out was close to normal. She always backed off before he did. Probably because she was smarter than he was. Had more to lose.

He listened to her footsteps for a moment before he turned to search the house. Started in the kitchen. Not that there was a lot to see. It was a typical bachelor house. Bare and utilitarian. The pantry was barely stocked. Cereal and snack foods and peanut butter. Milk in the fridge. Not a lot of fresh fruits or vegetables. Looked a lot like Steph's apartment.

Damn. It hadn't occurred to him to wonder how Steph was eating. She wasn't exactly domestic. He might have to send Ella over to her place with some real food. Just to be safe.

He went through the drawers and stacks of papers. There was a phone number written on a pad near the cordless phone. A work schedule for a construction equipment rental place tacked to the wall. Must have been the boyfriend's. There wasn't much else to see. Few books on the shelves. None of them had anything tucked away in the pages. Nothing of value in the living room either. A dollar twenty-seven in change in the couch.

Steph's footsteps creaked at the top of the stairs. "Find anything?"

He walked over to the staircase until he could see her. The flair of her curly brown hair framing her face the way she looked down at him. "I've got the boyfriend's schedule for the next week and a phone number for somebody named Jean. You?"

"You might want to see this."

Interesting. He climbed the stairs and joined her in the cramped bedroom that was serving as an office and a gym. She had the vinyl and padding peeled back on the weight bench to reveal a dozen bags of premium grade marijuana. An estimated street value of over $15,000. "Nice. Good find, Babe."

"There's this too," she said, handing him a book covered in dark leather. "I can't read it, but I'm guessing it's a record of sales."

Ranger opened the book and started flipping through pages. It was a ledger. Filled with a handwritten code he'd seen before. "Looks like our girl's been busy." And he had a fair idea who she'd been busy for. He leaned over to look at the cellophane wrapped bricks of dried cannabis. Each had a white label, a symbol he knew marked in black. Yeah. He knew exactly who she was busy for.

"Think you can crack the code?" she asked. "If it has details like dates and locations, we might be able to find her pattern too and figure out where to pick her up."

"I might be able to do you one better. How about I take you out tonight."

"Like on a date?"

A grin lifted his face. She didn't sound opposed to the idea. In fact, she might have sounded just a little excited. Good. "I'll pick you up at 9. We'll go dancing. Wear something…distracting."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Ranger leaned against the driver's side door of his Porsche 911 Turbo and watched Stephanie Plum drive away. He hadn't walked her to her car. Knew himself better than that. This situation was hard enough without standing that close to temptation. Steph was off limits until the pregnancy question was settled. It was the only responsible course of action. There were too many risks involved. Too many variables. Keeping distance between them was the smart move.

Too bad being with Steph made him a little stupid.

Ranger shook his head and got in his car. Drove back to his building. He had client meetings from noon to five. Rangeman provided a variety of services to a select clientele. Most people knew them for their state of the art security systems and capable personnel, but Rangeman did so much more than that. Truth was, Rangeman would cover just about anything for the right price. They'd handled witness protection. Asset relocation. Asset recovery. Cleaned out crack dens, and driven armored trucks, and accompanied businessmen to third world countries. He'd even personally overseen ransom exchanges on three separate occasions. The meetings today would be routine. Mostly existing clients who needed upgrades or wanted invasive background checks. Hard to say how much of a diversion it would be.

He paused to get an update at the control desk when he reached the fifth floor. Proceeded to his office. Steph's GPS marker was at the mall. He held back his smile. His mind filling in the blanks on all the lovely things she could be buying for their date tonight. He knew the outing was part of the job. They were following a lead. Didn't mean it wasn't a date. If he was lucky, there'd be black lace involved. Or maybe something bold and slinky.

Shit. He pulled back from the thought.

Steph was off limits, he reminded himself. And given how the night needed to go, it was going to take a lot of determination to keep himself in check. With anybody else, it wouldn't be a problem. But Steph had that funny way of slipping under his guard. Making him forget that he wasn't normal. And that was something he couldn't afford to feel right now.

He couldn't afford to feel anything right now.

Ranger refocused. Put his mind into the client meetings. By half past five, his office was empty. He pushed 6 on the intercom. "Good afternoon," Ella said. "Did you want your dinner at the usual time or are you still on an adjusted schedule?"

"No dinner tonight. I have a meeting with my lawyer, and then I'm helping Stephanie with a lead. I need you to stock Stephanie's kitchen while we're out. Standard fair is acceptable."

"Are you staying with her again?" she asked, a touch of hopeful in her voice.

"No, but I'd like to have options."

"I'll stock a good selection of wines then."

"That's not necessary. No wine, no beer. And I'd like to switch to decaffeinated coffee, in both her apartment and mine."

He could hear the confusion in her pause, but she moved on pretty quickly. It wasn't the first time Ranger had taken the healthy living thing that far. "I'll see to it."

"Thank you," Ranger said and disconnected. Then he dialed Sanchez. The man he'd tasked with coordinating the perimeter and keeping tabs on the feds' search.

"There hasn't been so much as a blip," Sanchez answered. "Either this guy's dead or he was never in the grid to start with."

"Carson said they lost him outside of the Trenton safe house in center city. Set up roadblocks minutes after he vanished. He's here."

"Then he's not making his own moves. He's got to have someone helping him."

"Fed's covered his friends?"

"Yep. Friends. Neighbors. Acquaintances. Pretty much if this guy's ever looked at them for more than two seconds, they're covered. You'd think it would flush him out, but he's only digging in deeper. Must have made some new friends."

"Find out who. What do we know about Baller Thatch these days?"

"Same as always. Fat and happy and livin' it up down at his club."

"And his business?"

"Thriving, from what I hear. He's still clean. It's working in his favor as of late."

Good. That might give him an angle if his distraction plan with Stephanie wasn't effective. "Keep me updated. Alvarez is here somewhere. If someone so much as whispers his name, I want to hear about it."

"You got it, boss."

Ranger hung up. Went upstairs to put on gym clothes. He had a couple hours before he'd need to shower and shave for his dinner meeting. Hours he could use to burn off some of the excess energy he'd been storing up. Maybe if he could master his body in the gym, it would be easier later when he was out with Stephanie.

He just hoped Baller Thatch knew something useful. And that he could be persuaded to share. He was the closest thing to an ethical drug dealer Ranger had ever met. Carved out a niche for himself by only handling the best merchandise. High quality. Grown organic by local distributors. Most of his clientele were college students and young adults. In fact, Thatch kind of had a soapbox about it. Made sure his people didn't sell to minors. It was one of the reasons Ranger didn't give him grief. It also meant he'd take a negative view of someone tainting the market. There was no guarantee he'd help Steph find Mini, but Ranger figured there was a chance he'd know something about the drugs.

He felt good after the workout. Pushed hard. He liked to do that. Test the limits of his strength and endurance. The corner of his mouth quirked up. Damn his dirty mind. Now all he could think about was how satisfying Steph found that endurance. And how rewarding it was to test hers too. Ranger let himself have the moment on his way back to his penthouse apartment.

After the shower, he dressed in casual business attire. Black slacks, pressed black button up linen shirt, a black sports jacket to hide the Glock he always kept at his back. Didn't bother with a tie. It was just something for an opponent to hold onto if things went badly tonight.

Ranger drove the Turbo to the steakhouse and entered at precisely eight o'clock. Unsurprised to find his lawyer was early. He joined Parker at the far table, taking the seat in the corner left open for him so he could put his back to the wall. The waiter appeared seconds later. Parker asked for the prime rib and then looked mildly amused when Ranger ordered a salad. "I remember when you used to put away three dozen hot wings and a six pack of beer in one sitting," he said when the waiter left. "Now you're eating salad."

"Everyone did stupid shit in college."

Parker laughed. "Some of us keep doing stupid shit even after college. Of course, the consequences are different for you these days. If I tie one on the worst thing that'll happen is a hangover and a pissed off wife."

That was true. Worst case scenario for Ranger might involve not breathing. "So, where are we on acquiring the new property?"

"I had some difficulties finding suitable candidates, but there are a few that might fit your specific needs. Near enough to your building on Haywood that they would be easy to reach if you needed to evacuate, but far enough to be outside the perimeter, should anything unfortunate happen to your original sight." He handed Ranger the manila folder. "I've put the most attractive one on top. Three stories. Secure parking. Ten foot stone walls. Might even get away with making the rest of the upgrades without public records like permits."

"That would be nice. Even with purchasing it under the umbrella company, it's always best to avoid attention."

"Exactly. I figure with the low profile you keep, not even the neighbors will realize it's a safe house. This is a smart move, you know. Planning ahead for a satellite office. Especially given the number of government contracts you've been getting. Could make you a target."

"I've been a target for years. Even before the government contracts. This is just a safety net."

Parker nodded. "Turns out it was a good thing you had to cancel this meeting twice. This property wasn't on the market three weeks ago when you had to fly to Hawaii. Guess you got lucky in more ways than one that week."

Ranger brought his dark gaze up to Parker's. "That was a business trip."

"I know. I've seen the receipts. Private cottage on the beach. Dinners for two. Room service."

"Your point?"

Parker laughed. "That you should lock her down as soon as possible. Any woman who can put up with you is worth keeping."

"This is why they say you shouldn't hire friends."

"Yeah. They have a point. But given the shit we got in together when we were younger, would you really want somebody else watching after your interests? Face it. You're lucky I became a well respected lawyer."

"Not sure about the well respected part," Ranger said, looking over the property again while Parker laughed. "This looks promising. Make an offer."

Parker nodded and pulled out his phone.

o o o

Ranger hadn't expected her to be waiting for him in the lobby when he got to her apartment building. Steph wasn't known for her punctuality. And he knew better than most people what it took for her to get ready for a night out. If he was being honest, he'd kind of been hoping she would still be getting dressed when he let himself into her apartment. He would have had to hold himself back, but it would have been nice to see all of her, even for just a few moments.

The second she came into view, though, that thought hardly seemed necessary. He knew Steph's body well enough to imagine every inch of her under the stunning red dress she was almost wearing. The low neck showed off the creamy swells of her breasts where the dress hugged her figure. Showing him just the barest hint of nipple through her pushup bra to prove her excitement. The hem of her skirt only came down to mid thigh when she was standing. The second she slid in beside him, it rode up several inches. Leaving her smooth, silky thighs bare. And the shoes. Sexy red pumps with four inch stiletto heels. The kind that made her legs look two miles long. God, what he wouldn't do to have those shoes hook around the backs of his knees.

He watched her settle into her seat, crossing her ankles like a demure little princess while she twisted in her seat to reach the seatbelt. She was probably smart to meet him out here. There was a better than good chance he might have taken her right there in her living room if he'd made it up to her apartment. Hell. He wanted to take her here in the parking lot.

He caught her hand around the buckle and guided it home, leaning toward her in the effort until they were only an inch apart. "I see you took my directions very seriously."

"You said to wear something distracting."

"Babe. If every eye isn't on you the second we get there, they're either blind or stupid."

"Or gay," she offered, but he shook his head.

"Even the gay ones will be watching you in those shoes."

Her heat was pressed against his arm. The interior filled with the scent of her. Every breath she took was deliberate and deep, like she was trying to draw him inside her through her lungs. He knew it was the shower gel she liked so much. She turned half putty whenever she smelled it. He watched her chest rise and fall for a few seconds, fighting the urge to lean over a few more inches to kiss the swells. Fill his hands with her soft flesh until she was begging him for more. He held back. They had business tonight. He might be able to mix in a little pleasure while they entice the information out of their target. And then after, if he was still feeling stupid, he could walk her back upstairs and stay until morning.

The prospect had a predictable reaction on his anatomy and it took some concentration to keep his body in check. Oh yeah. He'd be feeling stupid later.

He straightened up in his seat and gripped the wheel, his other hand on the gear shift. "This is going to be fun."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Steph's body was humming next to his as the sports car cut through the night. He had a feeling if he revved the engine a few times, she might just have an orgasm. It wasn't just the sexy car she had a reaction to. The air was always thick when they were alone together. Full of anticipation. Probably heightened by the efforts she'd put in to look that amazing. He set a gentle hand on her exposed thigh. Intimate, but not so much that it would put her in a state he'd be tempted to remedy. He'd save that for later.

Tonic was one of Trenton's most sought after nightclubs. The line for entry was wrapped all the way around the block. Most of those people wouldn't be getting in, despite the club's high capacity. It helped the club's image. And its proprietor was all about image.

Ranger pulled up to the curb and left the keys dangling from the ignition. One of his guys would step in. A team of four was acting as backup. He didn't expect to need them, but he was smart enough not to take chances. Right on cue, Vince stepped into the driver's seat when Ranger opened Stephanie's door. He offered her a hand to lift her out. Wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her tight against his body. It was mostly for show. An obvious gesture to mark her as his. Though there was a certain amount of satisfaction that came along with it.

The gatekeeper didn't bat an eye when he bypassed the line. "Ranger Manoso," he said to him. He knew his name was on the list. It had been since the club was opened. A sign of faith from the owner, as well as an open invitation he'd never planned to use. Ranger wasn't known as a man who sought out a good time. Which would make his presence with Steph all the more intriguing.

Steph shot him a curious look when she realized his name was already on the list, but he only smiled in answer. The curiosity took on a touch of annoyance. Cute. She didn't like not knowing things. It put her on edge. And it was fun to keep her there, if only for a few more minutes.

She stopped caring when they got inside, though. Taking in the sheer size of the building. It used to be a steel mill. Some of the original scaffolding and catwalks were still there, but most of the interior had been stripped down. He knew the man they'd come to see would be watching from one of the observation decks above them. No doubt alerted to his arrival by the goon at the front entrance. Ranger wasn't disappointed. The heavy set black man was standing at the railing two stories above them. Watching with rapt attention.

As he predicted, a pretty woman in a tight black dress approached them with a waitress tray. A shot of tequila for him and his guest to acknowledge his presence. Accepting would be a sign that he wasn't there to cause trouble. He lifted the glass off the tray and held it up for the man to see. Steph did the same. Then she moved to knock it back when she saw their host do it. Ranger was quick to catch her and take the shot from her hand. "Babe."

"What?"

She looked genuinely perplexed. He raised his eyebrow at her. Could her denial really go so deep that she wouldn't even consider that she shouldn't chance drinking? What else was she neglecting?

She realized his thoughts all at once and rolled her eyes. "I'm not pregnant!"

If only he could be as sure about that as she was. Then maybe he could stop torturing himself with what ifs. He wrapped his arm around her waist again, careful not to spill the drink he was still holding when he pulled her tight against him. He could feel every detail of her body through the thin layers of clothes. She was almost as tall as he was in her red heels. Aligning them in all the right places. She felt incredible against him. He gave into the impulse and let his lips brush up the length of her neck on his way to her ear. "By my count you're seven days late," he whispered to her, enjoying the way she responded to his nearness. "Unless there's been a development I'm not aware of."

"No," she answered with a trembling voice. He tried to ignore the way that made him stir, because he knew it wasn't just the arousal in her response that inspired it. It was knowing that seven days was even more significant than five. God. She might actually be pregnant. And the fact that it was turning him on instead of terrifying him just went to prove what a screwed up fuck he was. He kissed the tender spot on her neck just under her ear and shared a moment of intimacy with her when she gasped, shifting a little so that her warm center brushed against his, stiffening him even more.

"Then you'll understand why you're sticking to water tonight. No matter who offers otherwise."

"Uhn. Fine. I probably shouldn't be drinking on the job anyway, right?"

That made him smile. She wasn't going to fight him on it. That might be a sign in his favor. He pulled back enough to see her face. "True. It's never a good idea to put yourself at a disadvantage. Especially if you can't hold you liquor."

"One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor."

"Babe, I've seen you drink. You'd never make it passed two." He gave the shots away to a pair of undergrads who took them without question. He wasn't going to be drinking them either. Something the proprietor would have known and was hoping to circumvent. Probably saw Ranger's abstinence as a challenge. He let a smile tug at his mouth as his now empty hands followed the line of Steph's body, cupping her ass through her dress so that he could pull her even tighter against him. His abstinence, or lack thereof, would be of great interest here. Something he was counting on. "About that dancing."

Her arms moved around his neck when her knees went weak. She was as into this as he was. "Are you going to tell me now that you don't dance?" she asked with a mocking smile, but the quiver in her voice gave her away. His grin widened.

"No," he said, tossing a telling glance up at the man still standing on the balcony. "I was gonna tell you that this place is owned by a man named Archibald Thatcher. Known to the less savory elements of society as Baller Thatch. He has a varied portfolio, but the investment we're interested in is his position in the marijuana trade. I recognized his mark on the product at Mini's place. I've had dealings with Thatch before. The direct approach might get us in, but it's not likely to get him talking. He is, however, a connoisseur of vices. And he has a weakness for beautiful women. Applying pressure in just the right area will keep him off balance, and off balance keeps him talking."

"So I'm running distraction on him?"

In a roundabout way. Thatch just wasn't the one who would get all the action. Ranger smiled and knew the hungry anticipation was all over his face. Especially when Steph didn't seem skittish about that. He grinned. "He doesn't stand a chance."

Ranger gathered her against him and kissed her, carrying her onto the dance floor. She seemed to lose the room entirely in her surrender. It had been part of his plan to look like she had every inch of his focus. He never expected that it would take so much effort to keep her from stealing it all.

He should have known she'd be an incredible partner. She had no fear. No vanity or self-consciousness. And as soon as she started moving with him, any hesitance or inhibitions she might have had were gone. She threw herself into this as wholly as she did making love. Following his guidance and relishing in his touch like they were completely alone. It was the most erotic thing he'd experience outside of sharing her bed. And he wasn't the only one to think that. He could feel the eyes on them. And not just Thatch. One by one, every man in the place was turning his attention to Stephanie.

Ranger couldn't help kissing her neck and shoulder every time she was near enough. Reminding himself of the public setting so that he wouldn't touch her too intimately. He spun her and she was surrounded in a flare of scarlet. Landing against his chest. Her arms circling his shoulders again as she leaned into him and kissed his neck in return. It was intoxicating. To the point that he was struggling to remind himself this was a job, and that they were surrounded by hundreds of people and a mark they still had to interrogate. He slid his thigh between her legs and pinned her hips to him when she started to ride him. If she kept doing that, he'd lose himself just as thoroughly as she had. And neither of them could afford a mistake that huge. He dipped her backward, supporting her weight, her breasts on display for the entire room. He leaned over her and laid a kiss on her silken skin. She was blazing. Every inch of her alive and wanting.

He caught the movement out of the side of his eye. Twenty feet closer than he should have. Damn. He needed to keep his shit together. He lifted her back up and held her close, leaving no space between them. "We've got company," he breathed into her mouth.

She hardly seemed to hear him, she was so captivated. So consumed the world might as well have stopped existing. He inched toward her and touched her lips with a gentle kiss. The second this was over, he was going to take her home and tear her clothes off. Consequences be damned.

A thin man in a shining copper suit approached them, his eyes raking Steph from head to toe. "Mr. Thatch would like to extend an invitation. To you and your lady friend."

"Tell Thatch I'm busy," Ranger said without giving the man even a courtesy glance. If they were going to get in with Baller Thatch, he was going to have to want them more than that. The man shifted nervously. Not used to being refused. He looked up at the railing above them and then tried again. "Mr. Thatch would like to show you the full measure of his hospitality."

Still not good enough. He didn't want to look too interested. He led his hand down to Steph's backside again, tipping his head to the side to run his lips along her neck, kissing her in a way he knew she'd love. She threaded her fingers through his hair in answer. He licked her and she shivered, throwing off so many pheromones he'd be shocked if she didn't have the attention of half the men in the club. Thatch's man shifted his weight again. Probably getting a hardon.

"The lounge is comfortable. And private," he tried.

That was a plausible temptation. He and Steph were practically dry humping on the dance floor. More privacy would definitely appeal to him. He glanced at the man with consideration. Then looked up at the railing where Thatch was waiting with bated breath for his reaction. He turned back to Steph. "What do you think, Babe?"

She knew the game. Steph was smart, and she had good instincts. Not to mention an ability to read him better than anyone. Even Tank. She made an exaggerated shrug that puckered the neckline of her dress enough to give Thatch a look straight down her pushup bra. Ranger had to school his expression to keep the grin of pride from showing. "Might be fun," she said.

And just like that, they were in.

They followed Thatch's man to the long iron staircase at the end of the room. Ranger kept an arm around her while they moved through the crowd, his hand spread over her belly. It was an embrace any man would use. And yet he couldn't shut down the thought every time he pulled her against his chest that if there was something under his hand, she could be his. He couldn't entertain those thoughts because there were still so many things unproven and undecided. But the temptation was undeniable.

He took her hand as soon as they reached the upper lounge, lifting it over their heads so that he could guide her to the loveseat in the back corner. Away from the rest of Thatch's entourage. That would mean Thatch would have to relocate to sit with them. Something he knew full well the man would do. They'd intrigued him. Ranger wasn't known for social entanglements, and he definitely wasn't known for losing focus or control. True to form, Thatch took the chair beside him less than a minute after he started stroking Steph again.

"Damn, Ranger. I've had your name on the list since I opened the place, but I figured it was just a courtesy. As serious as you are, I never thought you would show for anything but business, let alone bring such an exquisite companion. Is this your woman?"

"She is tonight." And every other night, if he had his way. He wouldn't say it, though. It was dangerous enough for her to associate with him. Even if Thatch was mostly harmless, people talked. Claiming her outright might protect her within certain circles in Trenton, but it made them both vulnerable to the rest of his enemies. And he had a lot of very dangerous enemies. Claiming her for one night was reasonable. And if he could get her back to Rangeman later, he'd make it true in every sense. He stroked her thigh and felt her body warm. "Babe, this is Baller Thatch. He owns the club."

"It's nice to meet you," she said, offering her hand. True to Burg manners. No hint of fear or reticence. She must have recognized that Thatch wasn't a threat. He took her hand and bent over it with an enthusiastic kiss.

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you," he said, his eyes anchored to her cleavage. When he finally lifted his eyes to her face, though, they lit with recognition. "You're the bounty hunter."

"Stephanie is a bond enforcement agent," Ranger made a point in saying, tearing his attention away from her to give Thatch a warning look. Tread lightly.

"And is that why you're here?" Thatch asked. The rest of his entourage was starting to gather too. A half dozen men. A few women in skimpy dresses. Two of them took seats on the arms of his chair. Intent on benefitting from the man's amusements. Thatch put an arm around one, touching the other's leg the way that Ranger was touching Steph, but they only had half his attention. Steph was too stunning to lose his focus.

"She is supposed to pick up someone you might know. Mini Velasquez is FTA. But that was only part of my motive, if you catch my meaning."

"I do indeed. And it's a rare sight to see Ranger when he's engaged in something other than being a hardass. I have to say, I like this side of you. You should bring it around more often."

Ranger let a half smile lift his mouth, sliding his fingers high enough on Steph's thigh to elicit a response. A response every man on the balcony was watching with fascination. "It's all about opportunity," he said.

"I can drink to that."

Thatch's man took the cue and dropped several shot glasses onto the short black table between them. Several of the others reach out to get their own, but the man in the copper suit made a point of handing one directly to Stephanie. Eyeing her in a way that said he wanted to get her drunk, even if he wasn't the one who'd get her naked. Ranger took the shot and set it deliberately onto the table again.

"What's the matter?" Thatcher asked. "I thought you all were here for a good time."

Not on your life. But he had to play nice. That was part of the game. "Stephanie has a low alcohol tolerance," he said. "If she has too good a time here, she won't be any fun later."

Several of them laughed, but the guy in the copper suit laughed the hardest. "Well, fuck. Wouldn't want to get in between you and your pussy."

Ranger turned a hard stare at him, but Thatcher got there first. He smacked the guy hard up the backside of his head. "Show some respect. You don't speak about a fine female like that. Especially in front of Ranger. Not unless you want your ass handed to you."

Good advice. Especially when the woman might be the mother of his child.

The man mumbled an apology, but Thatch was more insistent than that. The guy apologized again more deliberately. Ranger knew an opportunity when he saw it. "Maybe we could lose the audience."

Thatch nodded and waved a dismissal. Several of them were disappointed. They'd been looking forward to seeing big bad Ranger all over his woman in public. Probably hoping he'd get frisky enough to stick his hands in some very private places. Or maybe it was just voyeuristic fascination. He and Steph were both very attractive people. Watching their chemistry might be right up there with porn.

"You'll have to forgive Darnell. He's my sister's boy. Doesn't always think before he speaks."

"At least you're teaching him some manners."

Thatcher slumped back in his seat. Still eyeing them. "Speaking of manners, I don't buy for one second that you're just here to have some quality time with your lady. The Ranger I know doesn't do public displays of affection. In fact, the Ranger I know doesn't do fun at all. Which means you're here for other reasons."

"I can multitask," Ranger said, turning his attention back to Stephanie. Thank god that was true. A less disciplined man would have given up Thatch's involvement already. Focusing instead on the soft feel of her skin and the sweet scent that followed her. The soft sounds she made when she was aroused. He pressed a kiss to her temple. Holding her gaze when she looked at him, her eyes dilated in the semidarkness. "But, since we're here. You wouldn't happen to know the whereabouts of Mini Velasquez, would you?"

"Not at the moment."

Ranger's eyes dropped to Stephanie's mouth. Her lips were already parted, her breath shortened by the way his fingers were skating up and down her thigh. He leaned in and caught her lips with his. Tasting her when she opened up to him. He heard it when Thatcher stopped breathing, but he didn't care. That kiss had nothing to do with Thatcher. He pulled back just a little. "When was the last time you spoke with her?"

"Yesterday. She had some concerns about my employment related insurance policies."

"As in?"

Thatcher was mesmerized by Steph's reaction when Ranger turned his attention to her neck. She had a fistful of his shirt, squirming against him in an effort to get closer. He doubted he was the only one on that balcony who was getting hard. "As in does it cover a bullet in the head," Thatcher said absently.

Steph's focus changed. Damn those terrier instincts. "Someone's after her?" she asked. Ranger didn't pause. He should have pulled back to keep from being a distraction, but he couldn't. He just lifted her curls and kissed deeper on her neck, right over her jugular. She shivered in a good way and he knew he'd struck a chord. It made him smile.

"Hard to say," Thatch said. "These are dark times."

"Because of the tainted product coming up from Mexico."

It had been a statement. Not a question. Thatch licked his lips. Getting nervous, but too enchanted to look away. "I have no knowledge of that. My hands are clean."

"I know," Steph assured him. "Only high quality local organic, right?"

That caught Ranger off. He hadn't told her that. And he was fairly certain it hadn't been in the files Tank had given her. She'd learned on her own about Thatch's business practices, and knew that putting him at ease about them would further his trust.

Ranger wasn't the only one that was surprised. "You a client of mine?" Thatch asked her.

"No, but I have friends. It can't be good for business to be competing with such cheap product. Lots of it, from what I hear."

"You hear a lot," Thatch said. "And that isn't healthy these days. Even for Ranger's woman."

"Is that why Mini's laying low? She knows too much?"

"Mini had some unfortunate associations that seem to be causing her some trouble. Ending up in a cell wouldn't improve the state of her affairs, if you know what I mean."

Steph turned to look at Ranger. She knew that made things more complicated. It didn't change her responsibility to the job. The job didn't care what Mini's trouble was. Only that she was brought in. But the fact that she might have information about how the drugs were coming into Trenton also made her valuable to the Fed's investigation. And the fact she had a target on her back made Steph anxious. She wouldn't want to see her actions cause harm to the girl.

"Who's she hiding from, aside from me?" Steph asked.

"You think I can give you a name?"

"I think you can give us more than a name," Ranger said, following the line of Steph's clavicle. Thatch's eyes were on his fingertips, watching them inch lower onto her breast. She was liking the attention. Almost as much as she would have if they were alone. She leaned into him a little more, lifting her chest in an unconscious effort to encourage him. Then her hand grasped his thigh and he couldn't keep from getting hard. From Thatcher's expression, he couldn't either.

Thatch swallowed, leaning toward the table to take up the shot his nephew had tried to give Stephanie. It went down smooth, doing only a little to ease his condition. "You'd be wrong," he said. "Way things are going, names will get me or my people killed."

"There's some bad movers," Ranger said. Thatch hesitated before he nodded.

"How many of the suppliers are in bed with the cartel?" Steph asked him. "Is it just the one?"

From the look on Thatch's face, she'd hit on target. How she knew that was anyone's guess, but Ranger was starting to suspect she'd gone to see Mooner. He must have known more about the situation than she'd implied. Ranger might need to arrange a conversation with Walter MoonMan Dunphy.

Steph leaned toward Thatcher, showing her sympathy. Something she was far more capable of than he would ever be. "I know you want to protect her."

"Sweet baby, I'm not even sure I can protect myself. My business has increased recently, as I have a reputation for keeping my product premium. Lots of customers are seeking out something safer after they've been burned. There are certain parties who don't like that."

"Like Delgado," Ranger said.

"Not just Delgado. Romero, Marquez, Cruz. There's been rumblings in the wings across the board. And not just on the one side. One of my runners was telling me the establishment is turning its eye this way. I'm just trying not to get caught in the crossfire."

"The establishment?" Steph asked, turning back to Ranger.

"Organized crime families."

"As in the mob?" He nodded. "Is there likely to be crossfire?"

"If Grizzoli or Colichio feel their toes are being stepped on?" Ranger asked, caressing the outer lobe of her ear. He knew she understood. Steph had grown up in Chambersburg. Basically a mob retirement community. People who made waves in the Burg ran the risk of being marched out of their houses in the dead of morning and ending up in a land fill.

Steph didn't look thrilled with that. "So who's upsetting the balance? Do they know what'll happen?"

"I don't know. You shouldn't want to know either. It's bad business," Thatcher said, cutting his eyes to Ranger. "You're woman's traveling in circles she shouldn't be."

"She's her own woman," Ranger said, stroking her again. "And you should answer her while she's asking nicely. I've seen what she does to men who piss her off."

Thatch paled. Looking at Steph with new eyes. It might have seemed like a ridiculous statement from anyone else, but most people knew that Ranger wasn't really one to make jokes. And as delicate as Steph might look in her sexy red dress, the truth was she was a dangerous woman under the right circumstances. Thatcher licked his lips.

"I don't have any more answers than that. I'm a legitimate businessman. And while a small part my business might not be legal, I do try to stay ethical. I only employ responsible people. Who only sell to consenting adults. My customers don't mind paying a little extra for high quality. Mostly me and the other elements of society coexist peaceably. But Mini. She's a girl of delicate sensibilities. It didn't sit right with her that someone was tainting the market. Started asking questions." He held Steph's gaze. His lust was gone, replaced by real concern. "Trouble's brewing. You don't want any part of it. Trust me."

Voices raised near the front door. Not a good sign. Thatcher's phone started to ring. Ranger pulled out his own phone and looked at the report from Vince. Trenton PD had just arrived.

"Fuck," Thatcher uttered in a conversational tone. Ranger's thoughts exactly. "Seems my guest list just expanded to include key members of the Trenton Police Department."

Steph followed him to the railing to look over the dance floor. Ranger didn't need to look. Not only did he have a detailed log of who was involved, he could see it when Stephanie tensed. She'd just seen Joe Morelli.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Steph was staring over the railing with all the enthusiasm of a doe who'd just spotted a coyote. Why she would chose to stay with a guy she'd have that kind of reaction to was a mystery. Then again, sometimes she'd turn skittish around Ranger too. Steph had a strong fight or flight instinct. Ranger watched her for a second, wondering which was going to win. She turned to Thatch. "I don't suppose there's a back door."

Flight.

Thatcher was surprised by that. Didn't understand how insufferable an angry Morelli could be. Or why. "I thought you were bond enforcement. Aren't the cops kinda your people?"

"She's only looking to avoid one in particular," Ranger said. "It's too late for that anyway, Babe. All the exits are covered."

"Crap."

The grimace she made was cute. Ranger didn't let that show, though. In all likelihood, this was about to get ugly. He didn't want to make it worse by upsetting her. It had been two weeks since the chance meeting at the front door of the private cottage he'd rented in Hawaii had resulted in a vicious fistfight between the two men that were in love with Stephanie Plum. She hadn't been happy about it.

Ranger blamed himself for the way things panned out. He'd been in the wrong, after all. Moved in on another man's woman when he should have been minding his own business. But he knew all too well that Morelli had been at fault too. And not just for throwing the first punch. Morelli had a history of taking Steph for granted. Pulling back when things started getting serious or difficult. He loved her, and he liked having her around almost as much as he liked getting laid regularly, but he didn't deserve her anymore than Ranger did.

Morelli appeared at the top of the stairs and stalked toward them, his obvious rage hidden behind the mask of professionalism Steph called his cop face. It took some effort for Ranger to keep the smirk from showing. If Steph was pregnant, Morelli's days were numbered. There was no way Morelli would raise another man's baby, especially not Ranger's. Not that Ranger would let him, anyway. And since that would leave Steph open and vulnerable, Ranger would have a moral obligation to look after her.

Damn. What a hardship.

Morelli looked Steph over thoroughly. Taking in the incredible dress and sexy shoes before he turned his glare onto Thatch, then finally his eyes cut to Ranger. No surprise on his face. The smirk fought to surface again. He'd heard Ranger and Steph were there together. And from the look on his face, he'd heard it in detail.

He looked back to Stephanie. "You want to explain to me how I came to execute a search warrant and found out that Batman here is out on a date with my girlfriend?"

Batman. Funny. That was what Steph and her friends called him, when it wasn't 'man of mystery'. He'd never expected Morelli to pick it up. Thatch shot a look at Ranger. Apparently impressed that he'd had the nerve to steal a cop's girlfriend. If only he knew.

"Excuse me?" Steph said. "So now I'm your girlfriend? What happened to maybe, maybe not?"

"What happened to steering clear of him?"

"You said that, not me. He's helping me look for my FTA."

"That's not all he's doing," Morelli said, glaring daggers at Ranger. "It's supposed to be a coincidence that you found your way here ahead of a police taskforce, right? Who tipped you off? Feds? Someone on the department? Because whoever they are, they're slipping."

"We were following a lead on Mina Velasquez," Ranger said with a careful measure of calm. Not that he had to justify his movements to the cop. But slugging Morelli again wasn't gonna keep him on Steph's good side. No matter how tempting it might be.

Thatcher was shifting under the thick air of tension between them. He might not know all the details, but he was smart enough to recognize when things were heading south. "What's this about?" he asked Morelli. Drawing the cop's attention. Good thing, too. Ranger didn't care if he broke his hand again.

"We have a warrant to search your premises," Morelli said, handing the paper to Thatcher.

"If you wanted an invitation, Detective, you could have just asked. And what is it exactly that you think you're looking for? I run a thriving and above board business here. All my permits and liquor licenses are up to date. All our guests are legal drinking age—"

"Cut the crap, Thatcher. Everybody knows about your side business."

"You mean the car dealership? Or the drycleaners?"

"I mean the dime bags of Bombay you sell out of the back room."

"Baseless rumor."

"Yeah, we'll see," Morelli said, letting his anger get the better of him. Just went to prove what a tool he was. Morelli was a good cop. And if Ranger was being fair, he was a decent guy. But Ranger wasn't in the mood to be fair. Morelli peered over the railing to watch his underlings go about their search.

Steph leaned closer to Thatch. "Do you really sell out of the back room?" she asked quiet enough that Morelli wouldn't hear.

"Not a chance, babygirl. Those businesses are so separate they don't even share an accountant. Selling in your club is like peeing in your own pool."

That caught her off guard enough that a giggle slipped out. Morelli cut a hard eye her way before he turned his frustration onto Ranger. What little control he had left was slipping. It gave Ranger some satisfaction, but he also knew they were on dangerous ground. There would be a lot more consequences if their issues erupted into violence here in Trenton.

"Not only are you all over my girlfriend in public, but you're letting her fraternize with a lowlife drug dealer? And that's on top of dragging her into the middle of this shit storm investigation? Are you trying to get her killed?"

"This is Stephanie's investigation. Her FTA. Her lead."

"Bullshit. You're using her to shove your nose into police business and we both know it."

"Using me?" Steph said indignantly, but Morelli ignored her.

"You have the fucking nerve to dangle her as bait? Like she doesn't have trouble enough already?"

Ranger was holding tight to his emotions, but undoubtedly some of his anger was showing. He knew full well the trouble she was in, and the worst of it had nothing to do with danger. It took effort to keep the wrath from his voice. "Stephanie's more than capable of finding trouble all on her own," he said quietly. "Which is why I'm helping her instead of trying to hold her back like an idiot. Left to her own devices, she would have found her way into the middle of this eventually anyway. She's a professional pain in the ass and that gets her results."

"Results like an M16 drilling into the side of her truck?"

"Yes." Morelli was barely holding onto his fury. "At some point, you're going to have to accept that Stephanie makes her choices."

Even if those choices put her in danger. Morelli was thinking it just as he was, but they both knew better than to say it out loud. Just like they both knew that Ranger would do everything in his power to keep her from harm. No matter the cost. Morelli might be an idiot, but he wasn't stupid. He knew full well what Steph meant to Ranger. Might even be aware that he was in love with her. Which was probably why he was so hell-bent on keeping them apart. Deep down, he knew that if he lost Steph to Ranger, he'd never have a chance to get her back.

The muscle in Morelli's jaw tightened and he finally looked away, glancing at Steph where she stood with her arms folded over her chest. She was pissed. "Get her out of here. The less her name shows up in the reports the better."

Ranger inclined his head just enough to show acknowledgement. He gestured for her to go ahead of him. She paused just long enough to say goodbye to Thatcher. Kissed his cheek like they were old friends. Ranger caught it when she slipped him her card. From the affectionate way Thatcher was watching her, there was no doubt she'd be the only one he'd call.

Ranger kept a hand at her back all the way out of the club, half worried that she would turn around and make trouble even though they had a chance to slip away. He texted Vince while they were still on the stairs. He had the 911 waiting at the curb. Ranger opened Steph's door and helped her inside. It wasn't until he was pulling away that he was finally willing to breath.

That had been close. For a minute there, he hadn't been sure if he'd be able to keep control. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd been rubbed wrong by Morelli. It happened more often than he'd care to admit since he realized what his feelings for Steph meant. Watching Morelli fuck up so often was almost as frustrating as it was amusing. Ranger tried to stay professional. To keep his personal feelings tucked away where they belonged so it wouldn't ruin the working relationship he needed to maintain with Morelli. But that didn't make the impulse to make him disappear any less tempting.

Just because he wanted Steph to himself more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life didn't give him permission to rampage through and take what he wanted. It wouldn't have been good for either of them the first time he thought about it. Still wouldn't be good for either of them. Loving her would make him weak. Vulnerable. Something he couldn't afford to be.

And he already knew what it would mean for her.

Ranger had been trying to make things right these last few years. He spent so long in the darkness it was hard to find his way back, but he was trying. The work he did. The things he'd done. It had damaged his soul. Made him less human. Something he hadn't even realized until she swept into his life. She made that feeling ease sometimes, the way she cut through his darkness with her sunshine, but he still had a long road to go. And until he was worthy of her it wasn't right to consider what could be between them. If she really was pregnant, he'd have to figure out how to balance her needs with his. But he couldn't ever truly be with her. Not if it would be a detour on his path to redemption.

A path he was walking for her.

Fuck. Could he be anymore screwed up?

Steph wasn't comfortable with the silence. He could see it every time she fidgeted. After a few minutes it finally got the better of her. "Did someone really tip you off?"

She was watching him out of the side of her eye like she thought he'd be upset. Instead it cut through his mood again. She had an incredible talent for that. A smile tried to surface. "No. That was pure coincidence. It actually never occurred to me PD might try to raid Thatch's club. They're not gonna find anything."

"He's that careful?"

The smile was winning. "When you walk the line between right and legal, it's always a good idea to keep your ass covered."

She looked relieved about that. Against all odds, she actually liked Baller Thatch. "Who's Delgado?"

"Manny Delgado is one of the bigger players in the Trenton drug scene. Has a hand in everything from weed to ecstasy, and doesn't appreciate when he loses business. In fact, if Thatch isn't careful, it won't just be Delgado's enforcers crawling up his ass."

"The other people he mentioned," she said. Ranger nodded.

"I believe you're familiar with Marquez. The others are just as bad. If not worse. They've carved up Trenton to try and keep from stepping on toes and starting a war."

"And now someone's tainting the market and blurring the lines."

"Not good."

"You think this has to do with Alvarez?" He cut a glance at her. Not entirely surprised that she'd figured that out. "I doubt you'd be taking time out from the hunt for him if you didn't think you'd learn something tonight."

He grinned. Sometimes he wondered if she could read his thoughts. "How do you know I didn't just take the night off so I could enjoy the way you fit that dress?"

She rolled her eyes at him and he couldn't keep in the laugh. He set a hand on her thigh and she didn't stop him. Not even when he let his fingers slip down into the gap between her legs, brushing the soft skin along her inner thigh.

"He hasn't left Trenton. That means someone is hiding him, and it's not any known associates. I've been going over the records left with me by our FBI and DEA contacts. They detail all the evidence and information Alvarez gave the FBI about the Mexican cartels, some of which led to some high level arrests and interception of major shipments. And I've got a diagram that shows who the known players are in Trenton. Would you like to come back to Rangeman and see them?"

She thought about that for a moment. The desire burning so deep in her eyes that he knew the prospect was appealing to her. If he could just get her into the parking garage, it would be all over. He would lead her into the elevator and press her against the wall until they could get up to seven. Then he would pick her up and carry her to his bed. Where she belonged.

She worried her bottom lip. "It's late. Maybe I could see them tomorrow?"

"That was already my plan," he said, sliding his fingers up her skirt. The red fabric rose an inch on his wrist, her soft, smooth skin under his fingertips. Another inch or two and he'd be touching panties. Her grip tightened on the seat. On the edge of an orgasm. God, it was tempting to give her one right there in the car.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," she whispered.

"Only one way to find out."

"Tempting. But I think maybe you should take me back to my apartment."

He didn't argue. He could seduce her just as easily in her apartment as he could in his. It wasn't as secure, and there was an increased chance that Morelli would drive by and notice his Porsche in Steph's lot, but consequences weren't really at the forefront of his mind at the moment. He was too busy focusing on the way she let him touch her. At the club, there had been a possibility that she was just giving in because of the job. But here there was no one to perform for. Which meant the way she was letting him caress her was for the sheer pleasure of it. It was gratifying to know she still wanted him. Regardless of their issues.

He pulled into her lot and saw a black Mercedes sitting near the back door. Waiting for someone. He didn't recognize the car, but he had a good idea who it belonged to. Skeezer had sent one of his punks to sit on her building.

Ranger held firm to her leg for reassurance and pulled into a spot beside her Audi. "Wait here," he told her. Then he got out of the Porsche. Not surprising when he heard her door open too. Steph wasn't good at following directions. Telling her not to do something was the same as daring her. It didn't matter this time, though. He was already halfway to the car. Easy to see that the single occupant wasn't watching for an approach. His hand was dangling out of the open driver's side window, a smoldering cigarette between his fingers. Ranger held up a hand for Steph to stay back, and this time she obeyed. He leaned down to peer in the window and the guy's eyes grew round. "Oh fuck."

"I take it that means you know who I am." The guy nodded. "Tell Skeezer he's playing with fire."

"She wasn't hurt."

"You really expect that to fly? Just because her personal property was the target? How many do you have with you? Because if they're waiting for her when we get upstairs, there's gonna be bodies on the floor."

The guy swallowed. Knew Ranger meant every word. It was also a fair indicator he didn't have backup. "This is about respect. It don't look good, bein' brought in by snatch…"

Ranger leaned in close to the window and Skeezer's goon swallowed his words. "Tell him to get over it. And tell him if he goes FTA again, he'll be lucky if Ms. Plum is the one to track him down, because if I find him it won't be pretty."

The guy nodded in a numb kind of way and threw the car into gear, peeling out of the lot. Chickenshit. Not that he'd expected more from Skeezer's people. He'd already made it clear that any harm to Steph would be met with retribution. Maybe Skeezer needed a reminder of who he was dealing with. Ranger went back to Steph's side. Put a hand to her back to guide her into the building.

"He was waiting for me?" she asked. Didn't sound freaked out. Good girl. Guess the attempt at intimidation was too weak. Of course, it was only two weeks ago that she was being stalked by an insane, knife-wielding assassin. A gangbanger in a Mercedes was child's play by comparison.

Ranger opened the stairwell door. "There was only one man in the car. Said he didn't bring anyone with him. My guess is he thought he could intimidate you by invading your turf. Didn't know you don't scare that easy."

He pulled his weapon as a precaution when he opened the door to her apartment. She let him look over the place without protest. He closed and bolted the door, and then swept through room by room until he was sure the place was undisturbed. He put the gun away and stalked toward her. Caught her waist with gentle hands to pull her flush against him. "I should probably stay a while to be sure they don't come back."

"That's not necessary," she started to say, but her voice lost a lot of its power when he kissed her cheek, leading his fingers down the length of her neck. He stirred and he knew from the way their bodies were touching that she could feel it too.

"It's definitely necessary." Probably not wise, but that wasn't going to stop him. He leaned in and lifted her mouth to his, kissing her slow and soft. She melted into him and he deepened the kiss, teasing her lips with his tongue until she let him in. He slid his fingers into her hair and she grasped at his shirt, grinding against him in an attempt to get closer. He knew just how bad she wanted him when she started shoving his coat off his shoulders. He scooped her up against his chest and carried her into the bedroom.

She was panting in his ear. "Are you sure?"

It was a fair question. One he should have been asking himself. When he'd climbed into her bed a couple days ago, he hadn't known about the test. She'd just been the girl he'd come home to. Now it would be a conscious choice. A choice to make love to her knowing she might have his child inside of her. Knowing that crossing that line would mean something profound. Not just that he wanted her, but that he was on some level accepting the outcome, whatever it was.

He looked into those bright blue eyes and saw the doubt. It melted him to his core. She didn't think he wanted her anymore because she might throw a wrench in his plans. Didn't understand that those plans had been to protect her from him. That there was nothing she could do to make him stop wanting her. He brushed a light kiss to her lips. Soft and sweet. The rest of his body longing to take possession of her permanently. He kissed his way to her ear. He wanted to admit that he loved her. Reassure her that no matter what happened that wouldn't change. But only one word made it out. A word that meant all of that and more every time he said it. "Babe."

It was like the floodgates opened. She surrendered completely and in seconds he had her dress off and her body under him, shedding his clothes as he kissed every part of her. The red bra went next, baring her breasts. He filled his hands with them. Tasted her skin until she was moaning. His strong hands stroked down her sides as he kissed lower. Her ribs. Her sides. Her stomach. He darted his tongue into her navel, and then moved lower. Unable to ignore the possibilities when he kissed her belly.

He pulled off the red panties and threw them to the floor too. Worshiping her before he moved over her and made them one. She lost herself in him until his phone started ringing from somewhere on the floor. He knew he should answer it. It would only be ringing if someone was bleeding. But he couldn't bring himself to stop. He felt it when Steph lost focus. Grabbed onto her more firmly to draw her back in. Caught her leg and wrapped it tighter around him so that he could sink even deeper, threading their fingers together over her head until he found the spot that made her gasp and shudder and the world lost meaning again. She clung to him. Her keening cries sounding like Mozart in his ears.

The pounding of their hearts was the only sound in the room for a minute, aside from their labored breaths. He kissed her slow and deep. Letting her have all of him for a moment before he resigned himself back to reality and went for the phone. If the shit had hit the fan, the least he could do was let himself have a minute of contentment. She pulled the sheet up over her nakedness when he shifted off the bed. As if he didn't know every inch of her body already. Cute.

He looked at the text from Tank and his smile faded.

Bodies on Stark. 2 Marquez, 3 Delgado. Sounded like executions.

Shit.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

He'd been waiting for this to happen. First blood. A declaration of war. He didn't look at Stephanie. Didn't want her to see the full impact of what this meant. "Some bodies just dropped on Stark," he said, calling Tank. This was going to take him away from her. He knew it already. He didn't need to say anything when the line opened.

"Raphael and Vince are already on scene," Tank said. "Along with PD and FBI. Talk is it's gang related, but the timing is suspicious. This says power move to me. Do you want to me to handle it?"

Of course he did, but he also knew he couldn't delegate this. It was deference to the fact he was with Stephanie that his friend had offered at all. "No. I need eyes on this."

"Do you want me to send someone to sit on her building?"

"Yes. We have someone nearby?"

"Near enough."

"Give me five minutes," he said and then disconnected. Dropped the phone on the bed. Shit. If it wasn't one thing it was another. He looked back at Stephanie. Her face still glowing, flushed and red from making love to him. Her once sleek curls mussed in that crazy way he found so appealing. He could still see the outline of her body through the sheet. Her nipples peaking the linen. All he wanted to do was to crawl back into bed with her. Sink into her and let the world burn. Fuck. He picked up his pants from the floor. "I have to go."

"Stark Street?"

"Yeah. Five gangbangers got popped. All of them employed by either Delgado or Marquez. I have a couple guys on scene, but I need to see for myself. Could be this thing just got ugly." He pulled his shirt on and started buttoning it across his chest. Didn't miss when her eyes slid down to his washboard belly. Might as well have licked her lips. He fought a smirk. "You could always ride shotgun. I could use the extra eyes." And the chance to keep her with him. Not only because he liked her company, but because of her insight. Not to mention it would save him man hours.

She thought about it. Not exactly turned on by the idea. Might have been the promised gore, or maybe the chance that Morelli would be there. That possibility had explosive potential. It had been fun seeing his reaction to the report of them dancing together at the club. It would be a whole other matter to bring her to his crime scene an hour later wearing different clothes and smelling like sex.

The thought must have occurred to her too because a shadow crossed her face. She grimaced. "Is it okay if I pass?"

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and retrieved his gun, unable to keep the smile in. "It's fine. If you stop by my office tomorrow I'll fill you in and get you the new files." He leaned over to kiss her, finding himself unwilling to pull away when his lips met hers. He gathered her up against him, sheet and all. Enjoying the feel of her soft body with so little between them. "Unless you'd let me drop you off at Rangeman on my way. Then I could fill you in when I get home."

"Is that another double entendre?"

"It's a promise."

o o o

Steph decided to play it safe and stay at her place instead of waiting for him in his apartment. Pity. Knowing she'd be in his bed when he came home would have made the rest of the night more bearable. Stark was already filled with uniforms and flashing blue and whites when he got there. Bordered with crime scene tape to keep the gawkers at bay.

Ranger met Carson's eye to acknowledge his presence. Then he turned to Morelli. A man who was anything but happy to see him. The tension was still pretty obvious, but the cop face was firmly set this time. Professional mode instead of jealous boyfriend. That was good. Professional Morelli he could deal with. Morelli was a good cop. Decent guy. They would never be friends exactly, considering Morelli thought he was a crazy ex-mercenary willing to do anything for a buck. But without Steph there, Morelli was able to keep any non-levelheaded behavior in check.

"This is a crime scene, Manoso."

"I'm aware. I'm just here to observe. Consulting for the FBI office. Personal favor."

"Lucky me." Morelli cut his eyes around the gathered onlookers. "Tell me you didn't bring Stephanie with you."

"She's at home, safe and sound."

"Meaning you've got someone sitting on her building."

Ranger held in the smile. Morelli was good at reading people. It was one of the things that set him apart as an investigator. And even though Ranger was anything but an easy read, Morelli knew him well enough to guess he'd never have left Steph unprotected. It also meant Steph was probably a subject best avoided, considering his cloths might look like they'd been on the floor at some point. Might as well announce _I just banged your girlfriend._ "What do you have?" he said, cutting his eyes to the five bloody piles in the street.

Morelli was smart enough to take the cue and move on. "I'd guess gang executions, but this is above and beyond what you usually see. Sometimes they'll swiss cheese a head, but I've never seen them remove one entirely. Some sick bastard hacked these guys up. We're having trouble identifying them."

Ranger stepped closer. It wasn't pretty. It also wasn't new to him. "This is a little too like a cartel calling cards for my comfort."

"I was thinking the same thing. You don't usually see this kind of shit on this side of the border. And I'm not sure we've ever seen it this far north."

"Cartels have a long reach, but they don't do things at random."

Morelli nodded. "The victims are from rival gangs. Colors suggest Latin Kings and Original Crip Gang. Neither of which have major conflicts with anyone south of the border, at least as far as I'm aware. Could be one of them did something to piss off bad people. From the amount of blood, they were killed here. Even Mr. Headless over there. ME said it was likely removed post mortem." Morelli looked at him. "What's your interest here?"

"Just trying to get as much information as I can. I have a contact in the DEA that's been working on identifying the source of a dangerous drug so they can shut it down."

"The PCP Steph's skip was on?"

Ranger nodded. "My instincts are telling me the known body count on that just doubled."

"You think it's all related."

"I do." Ranger lowered enough to examine the bodies. He recognized some of them, even through the mutilation. "This one's Jose Castillo. He's a foot soldier for the Kings, mid level. Not a bad guy. Could be he was standing next to the wrong people."

"How intimately do you know the Latin Kings?"

"I know a lot of people," Ranger said without looking up. He shifted to get a better look. "These two I've seen, but I don't know their names. I'd have to ask around."

He could hear it when Morelli held in a sigh. "I'll see if I can get you copies of the crime scene photos. Don't suppose you recognize the other two."

"One's been beaten to hell and other has no head. Might take time to identify them. I'll let you know when I do."

"I'd appreciate that," Morelli said. Sounding almost rational. It was one of the reasons Ranger always liked Morelli. He was capable of putting his personal feelings aside and doing his job, regardless of the issues between them. The job didn't care if they were rivals vying for the same woman. The job only cared if the bad guys were stopped from doing bad things.

Ranger stood. "This is bigger than it looks. You'll want to be careful."

"I don't need you to tell me that."

"No, but you might need me to tell you that someone has taken the chess game that is the Trenton drug trade and thrown the board over. My sources suggest this might escalate beyond Latin street gangs. They're talking mob intervention."

"Would this source be Baller Thatch?"

"You didn't hear it from me. You also didn't hear that the way timing lines up, this is likely a move to gain power. The FBI has a key witness who murdered an agent so he could go to ground, and Steph's skip is laying low because she knows things that put a target on her back. Someone is doing this on purpose. And now they're killing people in the streets to send a message. I have tentative connections with the Italian crime families, but since yours are more friendly, inquiries might go over better coming from you."

"You mean Gilman."

"She's worked with you before. Taking Grizzoli's temperature could be a good indicator of how the other families are reacting."

"I'll see what she knows." Morelli shifted. Staring at the dead. "What do you think the goal is here? How far are they willing go?"

"Given the way things are shaping? Pretty fucking far."

o o o

Ranger didn't head home until the last body was cleared off of Stark Street. Might get three or four hours of sleep before his day started again. He fobbed his way up to seven and pushed through his apartment door. Dropped his keys and his gun into the tray on the sideboard. The apartment was cool and quiet. Empty.

He was wishing more than ever that Steph had taken his offer. He'd have to try harder next time to convince her to sleep over. Because after spending the last few hours looking at mutilated bodies, it would have be nice to climb in bed with the woman he loved. Listen to her slow, even breaths until he was at peace enough to fall asleep. Curled around her like a protective shield.

His phone rang on his bedside table the next morning. God, don't let it be more bodies.

"I'm not pregnant!" Stephanie said. The sound of her voice dragged him awake. She was agitated, but only a little. More a thin annoyance than anything. Not in danger. Must be something else. After last night it was hard to guess what she might be upset about. She had a few things to choose from.

"Babe." He rubbed a tired hand over his face. She'd said she wasn't pregnant. Sounded pretty sure about that. Either she was still in denial or something more concrete had shown up. He knew she'd be squeamish if he asked outright. She was sensitive like that. Didn't bother him much. It was just biology. Still. Best to tread lightly. "Is this an official announcement?" he asked.

"No! I'm annoyed."

Not official. He tried not to have any feelings about that and failed. "You wanna be more specific?"

"Someone filled my fridge with healthy food."

"And that's a problem?"

"It is because I'm not pregnant. And there's no dessert."

"So the complaint is more that Ella didn't bring cheesecake."

She paused. Might have been making that cute little grimace she always wore when she found him frustrating. "You didn't tell Ella, did you?"

"I only told Ella to stock your fridge. She has no reason to think it's for any other purpose than that I've been spending more time in your apartment."

"Crap."

"Babe," he said, fighting a smile. "No one in my building will bat an eye about that. Any more than they would about you being at Rangeman." In fact, if anything Ella was pleased that he was spending more time with Stephanie. She held in most of her maternal urges when it came to Ranger, but he could still see them. She wanted him to settle down. Have a real life. That wasn't something he could do, but the uninvited thought of Steph in his bed with a round belly and a contented smile was a hard one to ignore. The smile won. "What did you have in mind for today?"

"Thought I'd look in on Terry Kroychek. Maybe drop by a few bars." He was quiet a second. Trying to decide if that was a joke or not. "To ask about Ronald Walker," she clarified.

Ah. That made sense. "You want Hal?"

"Not yet. I'll wait until I'm ready for a takedown."

"Stop by when you have a moment and I'll get you the updated reports. After last night, the sooner I can go over it with you the better. Is it safe to assume you spoke with Mooner again?"

"Yesterday."

"You get the impression he knew anything else?"

"Not off the top of his head."

"You can brief me later then. Maybe over lunch?"

"We'll see."

He smiled. She'd be there. And with any luck, they could squeeze in a nooner with the briefing. "Babe," he said. A combination of amusement and farewell. He listened to her silence for a second before he hung up the phone. He could always count on her to brighten his day. Something he desperately needed sometimes, given the way he days usually went.

He knew it was walking on thin ice to keep sleeping with her. No matter how much sense it made in the moment. He was already too attached. Their current predicament was just making it more obvious how far gone he was.

There were only a couple possible outcomes here. If Steph wasn't pregnant, there was a high likelihood she'd pull back from him again. Eventually try and work things out with Morelli. That wasn't the worst thing for her, considering. At least Morelli was willing to think about marrying her. Well. Willing to actually marry her. Ranger thought about marrying her sometimes too. He just never got far enough to think it was really an option. The worst thing in Morelli's past was the serial womanizing, and he'd grown out of that when he decided to focus his energies on being a good cop. The worst thing in Ranger's past was still a weight around his neck. Something he couldn't slip out of just because he fell in love.

If she went back to Morelli, Ranger would let her. He wouldn't like it. And he couldn't promise himself he'd let her be, since he had a tendency to make irrational decisions when she was involved. He would at least try to respect her wishes. But if he and Steph actually had a child together, the chances that he would step back were small. He couldn't even keep it in his pants long enough to figure out if he had any right to her or not. Every day that passed just made the idea more solid. This would be her eighth day. Over a week past due. Week 5 on the gestational calendar. About the point where morning sickness starts to kick in. And here he was, trying to figure out how to get her into his apartment and keep her there. Telling himself that she'd be safer, healthier, better off staying with him than she would on her own. Letting himself seduce her over and over again because he didn't want to give her up.

Thinking about the white gold and diamond ring he'd bought for her when they posed as husband and wife in Hawaii. The one that was still in his gun safe.

Fuck. He was in such deep shit. Because the truth was, he wanted her to be pregnant.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Ranger started his day a little earlier than he'd anticipated because of Steph's call. First thing he did was have Hal and Ramon assigned to covert Stephanie detail. Just as a precaution. They would keep tabs on her from a distance. Only interfere if thing went sideways. With any luck, she would never know they were there.

He showered and dressed. Headed downstairs to look at the crime scene photos that had arrived with first light. Vince and Raphael had taken some too. They would all be in a nice neat stack on his office desk. He glanced at the fleet monitor on his way past and paused. Rocked back on his heel to take a second look.

Steph was at church. Which was weird because as far as he knew, Steph didn't go to church aside from Christmas and Easter. Maybe she felt she had some things to atone for. Fun, satisfying things that didn't line up with a good catholic upbringing. Not that he was one to judge. He made it to mass with his family a little more often than twice a year, but most Sundays were spent working.

No rest for the wicked.

He left his office door open so he could hear the buzz of the control room. Settled at his desk with the case files and crime scene photos. Made some calls. In less than two hours, he'd identified three more bodies. And Steph had dropped by her mom's house before going home for her bag and heading to a neighborhood just outside the burg. Must be the angry ex-girlfriend.

He texted Hal when Steph didn't head straight to the police station after. The answer said she'd spent time inside and left empty handed on purpose. Apparently, Terry Kroychek was unwell. Chalk white and clinging to the doorframe. Steph must have taken a leap of faith out of pity. She always did have a soft heart. Ranger would have dragged the girl in regardless of her condition. Let the system sort it out. One of the many reasons Steph was too good for him.

He turned more attention to his files when Steph picked up Lula and started poking around in bars to ask after Ronald Walker. She wasn't likely to run into any trouble this early in the day. Only the determine career drinkers would be in residence. Nothing she couldn't handle.

His phone rang less than an hour later. Hal. Shit. What now? "Report."

"Steph ran into Ronald Walker in one of the bars she was canvassing. She wasn't hurt, but it seems there was some kind of altercation. Lula was on the ground when we got in there after Walker fled the scene. We didn't catch him, though. I went straight for Steph, and by the time Ramon parked, Walker was long gone."

Disappointing, but at least they'd followed procedure. "Any idea what happened?"

"Steph said he grabbed onto her shirt after her stun gun didn't take him down, but he didn't get a chance to do any damage. She kicked him pretty hard in the knee. He was limping when he ran away."

Ranger wasn't sure if he was more upset or impressed. Leave it to Steph to go up against a big guy like Ronald Walker. She really did have the worst luck. "I want her brought in."

"We're still on her tail. Looks like she's heading back to Rangeman already."

Ranger held in a smile. She was keeping their lunch date.

He got the alert on his phone when Steph pulled into the garage. He gathered the files together. Then thought better of it and tucked them away in his desk. She'd need to see them, but it wasn't so pressing they couldn't have a little time together first. Most of the important documents were in his den already. No need to spoil her lunch with photos of decapitated bodies.

The elevator was nearing the fifth floor when he left his office. The doors opened at his approach and Hal and Ramon stepped off. He took their place before Steph had a chance to follow. Pressed the button on his remote to send the elevator back up to his lair. Where the princess had little chance of escape.

"I thought we'd be meeting in your office."

He couldn't help the smile when he glanced at her. They'd been friends a long time. Lovers pretty consistently for the last several weeks. They'd lived together. Depended on each other. And there was a strong possibility she was growing a part of him inside her. And yet there was something in her voice that sounded both excited and unsure. Like it was their first date. Sweet. "Nervous?"

"No." And by that she meant yes. The smile won. Seemed his princess understood she was being dragging up into the dragon's lair. He knew she liked his apartment. She'd stayed with him often enough over the years. Vacating only to keep from giving into the temptation of a physical relationship. Steph was a good girl. She didn't do casual sex. And even though what was between them was anything but casual, it wasn't well defined either. Couldn't be. And that didn't sit well with her.

"Ella brought lunch up to my apartment. I figured this would be more enjoyable than eating sandwiches in my office."

That got a better reaction. He wasn't sure if it was the promise of food or comfort that she found more tempting. Or maybe it was the subtle suggestion of carnal fulfillment he knew she'd pick up on. Not just because she was smart and she knew him very well, but because they were on the same sexual frequency. And she could be a little bad when she let herself. It was a side of her he loved to bring out. He laughed and pulled an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her messy curls. "Babe."

The elevator opened and he let them into his apartment. She looked around appreciatively. Letting the calm environment sink in. Good. With any luck, she'd settle in and get cozy. Let down the walls she was still clinging to. It had only been twelve hours since they'd last made love, but that didn't mean anything with Steph. She spooked easy. Required a gentle touch. Until he was actually inside her. Then she liked it hard and deep.

He held back those thoughts. Good thing she'd never actually managed to see inside his head. It was a depraved place when his mind started to wander. "I hear you had a run in today," he said as a redirect. She shrugged against him.

"Nothing I couldn't handle."

"I heard that too. Hal said Walker was limping when he fled the bar."

"I kicked him."

He laughed. "Smooth. Is that all it took?" Walker got off easy.

"Well, it was that and the bartender's shot gun."

Ranger considered that. Trying not to let his ill ease show through his amusement. The idea that she had to depend on a stranger with a gun was disturbing. "I hope this means you'll be more willing to take my men with you the next time. I'd hate to have to kill anyone." It really wouldn't help his karma.

"Don't worry. If I get a tip on Paul Bunyon, Hal will be my first call."

Paul Bunyon? She really was adorable. Ranger resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So tell me about Mooner," he said, pulling out her chair.

"He seems to know Mini pretty well. Used to buy from her. He gave me her cell number, but she didn't answer."

"He have any other ways to contact her?" Ranger asked as he took his own seat. Serving her from the tureen Ella had left for them.

"Not that he said. Theirs was more a professional relationship. I don't think I'll be able to get to her through him, but he's promised to call me if she gets in touch."

"It's starting to sound like finding her will be of greater benefit than just collecting her recovery money. Stark was a bad omen last night. Delgado and Marquez don't exactly get along. This wasn't a random meeting that was interrupted by gunfire. These were executions."

Steph froze mid bite. Guess he'd been successful last night in not ruining her post coital glow with the ugly truth. She gaped at him. "It was a mob hit?"

Ranger shook his head. "Mob hitmen are cleaner. Two shots to the chest, or one to the head. Professional. Impersonal. This was a lot more vicious."

"Do I want to ask?"

"Probably not. But let's just say they weren't all in one piece."

She turned a delicate shade of green. Steph was brave in a lot of ways. Facing gratuitous violence was never one of them. It was one of the reasons she was so squeamish about using her gun. She had a really strong sense of self preservation, and she worked well with rage and blind panic, but blood and death would probably never be in her comfort zone.

He brushed a curl back from her face to tuck it behind her ear. Hoping to give her comfort with a casual touch. "Babe, I don't have to show you the crime scene photos, but it might be helpful to the investigation if you can stomach them. You might see something I missed."

"I can try," she said. Trying to mean it. It made him proud.

"That's my girl."

She busied herself to wash the thoughts away. Taking up the breadknife. She sliced into the round loaf of multigrain Ella had left for them. Offering him the first piece. He accepted it, then watched her spread a liberal amount of butter onto hers. "This is bigger than just finding Mini and Alvarez, isn't it?"

"It is. Alvarez has spilled a lot to the feds over the last couple years. Had information he shouldn't have. They don't know exactly who his sources were, but the intel he gave them led to some high level arrests, not only in the US, but among a few of the cartels. They were able to intercept major shipments, break up distributors. In fact, from the look of it he was instrumental in crippling one of the four major players in Mexico. He's a high value asset. And that makes him a high value target, too."

"And there's still no whispers of him anywhere?"

"Not that I've heard. And I'm pretty well connected. It's like he vanished."

"You think someone got to him?"

"Hard to say. It's possible, but I don't think it's likely. Grizzoli or Colichio might see him to a shallow grave in the Pine Barrens, but I've got nothing to suggest they'd have a beef with him. And the cartels are messy. Like to make a statement. Intimidation through brutality and carnage. If they got to him, we'd have a body. Or at least parts of it."

"So the bodies from last night were a message?"

Ranger nodded. "Someone's trying to start a war. Last night was first blood."

"Jeez."

"Yeah."

He finished eating before she did. Leaned back in his seat to watch her. It was hard not to wonder if he'd done the right thing, involving her in this. Sometimes it was impossible to tell if his motivation had more to do with what was right for the investigation, or what was right for him. He wanted her with him. She had a gift for solving puzzles. Possessed incredible intuition and a dogged sense of perseverance. But he also had to admit that some of the reasons she was his favorite partner had nothing to do with her value as an investigator. She had value to him as a woman, too. As a friend. A lover. He knew what he said about her finding her way into the middle of this eventually was true. She'd managed it so many times before. And it was also true that it was better to have her at his side than to be chasing after her. Yet there was definitely a part of him that knew he'd jumped at the chance to keep her near him, regardless of the circumstances.

She finished eating and glanced around like a giant chocolate cake might have materialized when she wasn't looking. He smiled. Her obsession with sweets was even more consistent than her obsession with sex. The obsession with sex they had in common, but he wasn't into sweets. Other than her. There were definitely parts of her that were very sweet. Sometimes he thought about having Ella include a little something for her when he knew she'd be dining with him, but then he'd be reminded about her jelly donut theory. When Steph was deprived of sugar, she swore the jelly donut hormones turned into sex hormones.

He knew what to do with sex hormones.

"Come here. I want to show you something," he said, offering her a hand. Moment of truth. The materials were on the desk in his den, just off of his bedroom. If she turned skittish about being led into his bedroom, he'd be able to put her at ease by showing her the files. And if she wasn't, he would take her with the voracious appetite he'd been suppressing since she stepped into his apartment.

She was a little hesitant, but she went willingly. Still unsure of herself and what she wanted. Damn. The scenic route it is. He kept a hold of her hand and brought her into his den, pulling her in front of him so that he could wrap around her. "This is the hierarchy of the Trenton drug scene," he said, showing her the diagram he'd been working on for years. She was the first one, aside from Tank, to see it. "It's not a complete picture, but it's accurate. And more detailed than you're gonna find with any law enforcement agency."

"You haven't shared it with them?"

"No. And I won't unless it's necessary. Most of this information came directly from either me or my men. Gleaned from our dealings with the less desirable elements of society. I have a reputation, and it's well known that I don't allow certain lines to be crossed without retribution, but if I started handing my connections over to law enforcement, I'd lose my advantage. And there are certain parts of my job that require that advantage."

She nodded. And to his great surprise, she didn't give him the third degree about what that meant. He wouldn't have been able to answer her even if she had. Not with any detail, at least. Maybe she knew that and had just decided to trust him. Or maybe she was distracted by the vague way he was holding her against his body. He tightened his grip on her and felt a little of the starch fall out of her spine. Her warm back nestled flush against his chest. She wasn't as resistant as he thought.

"Delgado has the largest chunk of Trenton outside of the Italian crime families," he told her, lowering his voice to velvet so that he could get close to her ear. "Every few years he seems to have arguments with the other kingpins over disputed territory. Mostly with Skeezer and Cruz, since their both assholes. Romero stays out of it most of the time. He's smarter. And like Thatch, he's got more to lose from a drug war."

"So, how do we stop it?" she asked. Losing focus. He'd let his hands start wandering. A soft caress along her ribs. A gentle line across her belly and onto her sides. She was turning to putty again. Melting into his chest the more he touched her. He breathed her in. Lowered his mouth to the place where her neck and shoulder met so that he could taste her skin. She let out a pleasured sigh and a smile pulled at his lips. She wasn't resistant at all. Lucky him.

He slipped a hand under the edge of her shirt to caress her bare skin. "We find out who's messing with the environment and neutralize them. Hopefully before more bodies show up."

He let his hand find her breast. Feeling her softness through her bra. His other hand tucked into the front of her pants to spread over her belly. Thank god there was a chance she was pregnant. He'd wracked his brain in Hawaii looking for an excuse to keep her. Now he might actually have one. He couldn't offer stability, exactly, but he could offer her this. Steady companionship. Protection. Love.

He searched lower. Afraid that she'd realize his thoughts if he held her belly too long. He didn't want to push them on her. It would be wrong to try and influence her decision, no matter how much he wanted to. He put his mouth on her ear. Stroking her in all the places she liked best. "Locating the suppliers will be the next step. Might have to trace them from the bottom up, since no one is talking at the top. They'll be busy closing ranks, but if we can find an in lower in the chain, it might provide an opening." His fingers had reached hers, flirting with the edges of her delicate skin. Her head rolled back on his shoulder as the last of her barriers fell.

"Are we still talking about the case?" she breathed. Near lost. He laughed. Keeping her might still be a challenge, but having her now was going to be easy. Thank god.

"Maybe the case should wait a little while," he agreed, unbuttoning her jeans with a flick of his nimble fingers. She didn't even try to object. He turned her in his arms and brought her to his bed, laying her over the edge so that he could pin her down with his body. She tasted incredible. Light and sweet. All pheromones and clean bare skin. He pulled at her jeans to get them off and she pushed her hands up under his shirt to feel his hard abdomen. God, she was intoxicating. He took control of her mouth and she gave him everything. Surrendering so completely that it was getting hard to breathe.

The intercom buzzed. Dragging him back to reality. "Fuck." They couldn't even get an hour alone without some fucking interference. They should have never left Hawaii. He hit the intercom button on his bedside table. Refusing to give up possession of her body. "I'm in a briefing," he said in a tone just shy of fuck off.

"I'm sorry, sir. But Agent Pritchard is here. He's insisting he needs to speak with you."

"Tell him to come back in an hour."

The line was silent for a minute while Nollen checked with Pritchard. Ranger took advantage of the silence, relishing the feeling of Stephanie beneath him. He could do little more than rub his body against hers. Letting her feel how hard he was through their clothes. It was a promise she liked. Her bright, sky blue eyes smoldering into his blackened ones. God. They were dry humping like teenagers. Fucking clothes. If he'd been quicker getting them off, he'd be in her already.

Nollen came back. "He said it can't wait."

Fuck. Ranger drew in a deep, cleansing breath in an effort to keep his patience. Let it out slowly. Trying to find his Zen-like calm again so that he could master his wayward body. Fucking Pritchard. "Show him to my office," he said against his will. He hit the button again and the control room was gone. "This fucking case is always getting in the way," he said, gathering her up against his body to kiss her. It was a lousy consolation prize. They wouldn't be able to get any further now. Not that it wasn't tempting to make Pritchard wait another ten minutes. He just knew it wasn't professional. And he was nothing if not a professional.

He let his forehead rest on hers for a moment, willing the last of his lust back into its dark corner. Out of the way. He couldn't banish the ever present thoughts entirely, but at least he'd be functional. He lifted her off the bed, much to her disappointment. Cute. He was grateful he didn't have to tuck away the other feelings she inspired. Love wasn't a burden in the safety of his building. Good thing, too, since he wasn't sure he could control that particular emotion at the moment. He tried not to smile. "Let's go get rid of Pritchard."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

It didn't take much for Steph to straighten her clothes. Her jeans had only reached mid hip. Showing a tempting little ring of turquoise lace. She tugged her jeans back into place and rebuttoned them. He hadn't needed to do any more than let his shirt fall back down over his abs. All of his efforts to be presentable had been internal. Few men had control over their bodies like he had. Like all of his other skills, it was something he'd had to learn. A necessity when you've got a high sex drive and a dirty mind.

Steph didn't look nearly as okay with it. "Stupid Pritchard," she muttered under her breath.

He laughed at her. Self control had never been her strong suit. Wasn't the patient type. He stuck his hand into her back pocket and gave her a gentle squeeze. It was meant to be a promise for later, but it worked more on him than it did her. Weakening his resolve just a little. He pulled her against him when they reached the door. Pressed her into the wall. His last chance to enjoy her before their every movement would be monitored by his men. He knew they wouldn't dare say anything if they caught a glimpse of he and Steph being intimate in the hallway, or the elevator. But there were still some things that are best kept private.

Every inch of them was touching. Bringing back a little of the sensations he'd tried so hard to suppress. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her softly. "If we can deal with Pritchard fast, I promise I'll make it up to you."

"What's fast?"

He couldn't stop the grin. She wanted him bad. He brushed his lips across hers to draw out the anticipation. "The next half hour, if we want to take our time. I have a client meeting at three, and then I have to follow up with a subcontractor. Should be through by this evening, though, if you want to discuss this over dinner. Then maybe you could spend the night."

She didn't volunteer right away, but he could tell she was thinking about it. He kissed her again and took her hand. Tugging her into the elevator before he could change his mind.

The tension between them was still raging by the time they reached the control room, but at least she looked like she'd regained a little of her composure. If he could manage it, he'd deal with Pritchard in a matter of minutes. Then he might not even wait to get her upstairs again. He might just lock his office door and have her right there on his desk. He smiled at the thought. If he did that, he'd never be able to have a meeting there again without fighting an erection at the memory. Just like his 911 Turbo. He got half hard sometimes driving it now. Even when he was alone.

Worth it.

Pritchard stood when they came in. Pleasantly surprised to see Stephanie. His eyes moved over her in a subtle way she wouldn't notice. Ranger tried not to be pissed about that. Not only was Pritchard interrupting their private encounter, but now he was eyeing her like he was thinking about an encounter of his own. Not fucking likely.

"You brought in the ringer. That was quick."

"Stephanie was already in the building." And in his bed, no fucking thanks to Pritchard. "What is it exactly that we can do for you today?"

"I have a briefing with my superiors this afternoon about the deaths downtown. I thought it best to touch bases first. Make sure the information is as complete as possible."

"In other words, you're hoping we'll make you look good to your bosses?"

Steph shot a glance at him. She'd noticed his rude tone, even if Pritchard didn't. But then, she knew him a lot better than most people. Not to mention that she was feeling the same frustration as he was.

Pritchard didn't even blink. "Between you and me, I could use all the help I can get. We only just start proving the man hours have been worth it on this, and then there's a massacre on our watch."

Ranger shrugged. "There was no avoiding it. Power plays are an inevitable part of territory disputes."

"I wish that's all this was. You've seen the reports, right?"

"I was on scene for several hours last night."

"With Ms. Plum?"

"No. I haven't had a chance to fully brief Ms. Plum on the subject. I was attempting to do so when you asked for this meeting." It wasn't the only thing he was attempting, but it was on his list. Pritchard's expression turned speculative. Then he glanced at Steph. Taking in the light flush to her skin. The crazy texture of her bedroom curls where she'd been pressed against his mattress. She had a look about her of a woman who'd been thoroughly kissed. And Pritchard wasn't stupid. Good thing he was smart enough not to comment.

"Then you know this wasn't just a territory dispute."

Ranger nodded.

"But did you know that two of the victims were CIs?"

That got his attention. He could feel it when Steph went still beside him. "Go on."

"My office had contact with them, but they weren't on the same crew. I want to believe it was a coincidence, but…"

"But the chances that two CIs from rival gangs would be taken out at the same time are slim. I agree. Any idea who would have had access to them?"

Pritchard shook his head. "I don't know who they were talking to, but I'm working on it. In the meantime, I followed up with the lab. You were right, Stephanie. The joints found in your man's possession when he was arrested were in fact laced with a designer drug. It's not PCP, exactly, but it causes similar symptoms. A stronger dissociative state. Agitation and extreme violence. It showed up in the hospital tox screen too, prior to his death. Depressed his breathing and stopped his heart. He's officially been added to our growing list of confirmed victims."

No surprise there. Ranger had already heard as much from his contact at the hospital. "Anything new on where it might have come from?"

"Not yet."

Unfortunate. He'd have to hope Gregorio found something more useful. "So what are you looking for from us?" Ranger asked him again. "Seems you know quite a bit already."

"I was hoping you might have more about last night. As far as I've heard, they've only identified three of the bodies. Our CIs, and a foot soldier from the Latin Kings named Castillo. Of the other two, we know one was in Kings colors. The other was from a local Crip gang. They're not as big as the Kings, but they've caused their share of trouble the last few years. Headed up by a piece of shit named Skeezer."

"We're familiar," Ranger said. No need to tell Pritchard, or Steph, that Skeezer was all but stalking her. Held back only by Ranger's promise to bring hell down on his head if she suffered so much as a bruise at Skeezer's command. No one really understood the depth or nature of their relationship, but she was a well enough known associate of his that most in the Trenton underground wouldn't dare mess with her. It was the outsiders and the crazies she really had to worry about. "So you want to know if we've identified the remaining bodies and if we knew who's responsible."

"Basically."

Ranger was silent a moment. He'd planned on showing Steph the photographs in private. Where he could make up for their graphic nature with gentle affection. He couldn't do that in front of Pritchard. He debated asking Steph to step out, but he knew it would have been unfair to make the choice for her. Not to mention a severe vote of no confidence. She didn't always know it until after, but Steph was a strong woman. Stronger sometimes than even Ranger anticipated. And these wouldn't be the first mutilated bodies she'd ever seen, in photographs or in person. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a large manila envelope. "I was planning on going over these with Ms. Plum after I'd finished catching her up on the agency files. But since you're here."

He dropped the envelope on the desk and pulled out the stack of photographs. Laid them out. Grouping them together in clusters to illustrate the original crime scene. Steph moved in next to him to take an earnest look. She wasn't eager, but to her credit she didn't turn squeamish either. She leaned into him a little. Her hip brushing against his shoulder. Maybe taking comfort in his stoic presence. Ranger let an arm down behind her when Pritchard turned his attention to the photographs. Stroking the back of her knee. As much for reassurance as to offer distraction.

"These are a combination of official PD crime scene photos and shots taken by me and the men I had on scene. We were only able to identify four of the victims. The last was too far gone."

Pritchard nodded. "Hard to identify a body like that with no head."

Steph made a face. Her warmth pressing against his arm and shoulder. He couldn't help but find it cute. She wasn't comfortable. And she was a little annoyed that he was. She wanted to be stoic too. Unaffected by the blood and gore. Underestimating what he had to have seen and done in his life to be desensitized to something this brutal. Ranger hoped she would always be uncomfortable with things like this. He didn't want her to face what it would take to become like him.

He stroked the back of her leg again. "I can confirm that the first man from Skeezer's crew was named Garcia. I'm guessing that was one of your CIs?" Pritchard nodded. "We're still working on the second. Without identifying features, we have little to go on beyond a general guess that he used to be about 5'10", 180lbs. I've got someone working Skeezer's crew to identify him through process of elimination, in case the coroner has trouble fitting a name to the body. The others with Castillo were Angel Garza and Jaime Mendez. Mendez was low level, but Garza was an enforcer. Taking him out sends a serious message. It's a safe bet our John Doe was high level too, given the brutality."

Pritchard glanced up at them. Unhappy with the gravity of that. His eyes dropped to the crime scene photos again, understanding their meaning for the first time. "So you think we've got both a confidential informant and a high level officer each from two of the most influential gangs in the city?"

"It would seem so."

"Well, shit."

No kidding. This had hostile takeover written all over it.

"You think someone planned this all along?" Steph said. "Flood the market with bad drugs to upset the balance, and then start eliminating the competition?"

"Could be. Or it could be they saw an opportunity and took it."

"Any clue who 'they' are?" Pritchard asked.

"Not yet. But I've got all my resources working on it. No one wants a war."

"Someone does," Pritchard said, a frown etched into the lines of his good natured face. He let out a low breath. "Is it possible for me to get copies of these?"

"I'll have a set printed for you."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

o o o

Pritchard didn't leave for another half hour. Going over the grizzly photos in detail until Steph was two steps shy of green. Any mood that might have remained from the near fucking upstairs having been effectively forgotten. He traced a strong line along the length of her leg and back again when they were alone. Hoping to ease some of her discomfort. "You alright?"

She nodded vaguely. "I wish I could have been more helpful."

"Give it time. It's a lot to take in all at once."

Something she was all too aware of. "Why do you have so much faith in me?" she asked. It made him smile. She thought that because she wasn't hard and jaded like him that she wasn't good at this. That somehow being soft hearted and clumsy lessened her value. It surprised him how much she underestimated herself. He didn't just have faith in her. She was tried and proven. And she didn't see it.

Ranger caressed the back of her thigh on his way up. Tugged her into his lap. She fell across the arms of his chair and onto his chest. Melting into him when he kissed her. He slid a hand under her shirt to feel her through her bra again, like the last half hour never existed. She stopped breathing for a few seconds and he was hard again. Incredible how she always had that effect on him. No matter what kind of shit was going on around them. He glanced at his watch. Damn. "If I had more time I'd take you right here on my desk."

"How much time do you have?"

He grinned at how breathless her voice was. "Not enough. I'd need a lot more for everything I want to do to you." She sucked in a breath at the way her body reacted to that. Just the promise was enough to make her wet. Complete putty in his hands. He held in a laugh. Brushed a light kiss across her lips as a teaser of things to come. "What did you have planned for the rest of the day?"

"Nothing much. I'm just waiting for a call on Ronald Walker."

He brushed a thumb across her nipple and he was rewarded with a squirm of pleasure. "If you like, you could take the rest of the case material upstairs and look it over. Spread it out across my bed. Get comfortable. If my meeting goes smoothly, I could be up in an hour or two. Then we could explore some of our options before we go out to meet with Gregorio."

"We?"

"If you want," he said, teasing her lips with his. "Should be interesting. He's been doing some legwork for me. Trying to find the weak link in the supply chain. What do you think?"

Her fist closed around his shirt to pull him onto her mouth. "I think I'm in."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Steph was on her back when he finally managed to get back upstairs. Her head dangling off the foot of his bed with his pillow over her face. Her thinking position. Which meant she was sound asleep. She really was adorable. He crossed the room, trying to decide just how badly he wanted to climb on top of her at that moment. Kiss her awake and have his way with her. If only his meeting hadn't run long. He wanted so badly to see her naked. Kiss every inch of her until she was glowing.

Karma just wasn't on his side today. He lifted the pillow. "Getting a lot of work done I see."

"I was just thinking."

"Obviously. I can tell by the drool."

"I wasn't drooling," she complained, rubbing a hand across her chin to be sure. He laughed and she made that cute little frown. "You're late."

"Unfortunate, but unavoidable. There were some contract issues that had to be dealt with before we could go over the new security measures. Took longer than it should have." He leaned over her, kissing her upside-down mouth very softly. "I spent the entire meeting thinking about you naked."

"Is that so?"

He nodded, brushing his smile over her lips. "It was very distracting."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I, since we have to leave now if we're going to meet Gregorio." She made a cute little pouty noise and he laughed. "I'd reschedule, but the intel is important and he has a narrow window. It would be hard to justify postponing. No matter how bad I want you right now." He kissed her chin. And then her throat. Enjoying her soft skin. "We'll just have to wait until tonight."

"I'm not good at waiting."

"That's an understatement." He kissed just above the neckline of her shirt and she nipped his neck in return. Sending a wave of need through his entire body. God, he wanted her. He caught her hands to help her up before he could give in. "No fair. Doing the right thing is hard enough when you're around."

"Are you saying I'm a bad influence?"

The second she was on her feet he pulled her body into his. Soft against hard. "Yes. You're a very bad influence on me." He kissed her lower lip before he bit it softly. His hands roaming over her hips and onto her ass. "Now put your shoes back on. I can't afford to change my mind."

"You're just trying to tease me so I'll spend the night."

"Babe, if I really thought it was that easy I'd have tried it a long time ago. Shoes. Now."

She made a pouty face, but she complied. Probably realized that if she didn't he would have either left her behind or stripped her bare and made her beg. One of those had a definite appeal.

He tugged her to the elevator and down to the garage. The interior of the 911 Turbo feeling familiarly intimate. He pulled out of the parking garage, still half hard.

"So, who's Gregorio?" she finally asked to break the silence.

"A contact of mine. I've got him on retainer."

"As what?"

"Whatever's needed. He's got a talent for finding things. Any time of day or night. And he's got more ears than anybody I know." Made him a valuable asset.

Ranger pulled the Turbo into the alley between the pawnshop and the adult toy store. Parked in back. Where onlookers weren't likely to see them from the street. He opened Steph's door and lifted her out. Headed for the metal fire door behind the pawnshop. He banged on it with his fist. Gregorio answered a second later. Waiting for them. He was a soft man. 5'7". Late forties. Thicker around the middle than he was around the chest. The dark comb over was a bold fashion choice, but it was about on par with the rest of his demeanor. He held the door open for them.

"Sorry I couldn't come to your office, but with the current climate it's best not to be seen with anyone even remotely related to law enforcement. One whisper and I could be shut out. And then shut up."

"I understand," Ranger said, gesturing Steph ahead of him with a gentle hand at her back. Gregorio led them into the little alcove he used as an office. His favorite bits of junk tucked neatly on shelves and scattered across his desk. He always was a curious little man. Half pack rat, half bloodhound. He scanned Steph with an appraising eye.

"This her?" he asked. No doubt what he was referring too. His eyes settled on the bare white ring tan. Trying to figure out if the ring Ranger bought was for her. Ranger answered with a cool glare. "What do you have for me?"

"Right," Gregorio said. "All business. I've always liked that about you. Let me see." The little badger sat in his tattered desk chair and sifted through the complicated filing system that looked like a random pile of papers on his desk. Extricated the one he was looking for in seconds. "I've been spot checking since you called it to my attention. Making gentle inquiries where discretion allowed. As far as I can tell, about half the dealers are tainted, to varying degrees. Some are cutting their bad merchandise to lessen their risks, but they're all still selling it. I've traced a few of the lines to a distributor out of Juarez. I don't have names or contacts, though. And my connections haven't been whispering for a few days. Without more information, I can't tell you how to stop it."

"What about Mini Velasquez?"

"I've heard a few mentions. Mostly around Olden. Nothing solid. Like she was there, but moved on. You're not the only one looking for her, though."

"I'm aware. You know who my competition is?" Gregorio shook his head. "Anything else?"

"Oh." Gregorio started rifling through the clutter again, then started opening desk drawers. Found the sealed box Ranger'd had shipped to him. He handed it over. "Was there anything else you needed?"

"Not right now, but I'll be in touch."

Ranger didn't say a word on the way out of the pawn shop. Despite the fact he could hear Stephanie's teeth grinding. She had a ton of questions she was trying not to ask. He was curious just how long she'd manage it. He held her door open for her and then slid behind the wheel, tucking the box into the gun safe under his seat.

"What did he mean when he asked if I was 'her'?"

A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. She hadn't even lasted two minutes. He glanced down at her finger. Took her hand from between them and lifted it to his lips, kissing the mark his ring had left on her. The one that made her his, at least for a little while. "I said I knew a guy."

"You got the rings from him?" she asked. Ranger just smiled. "That was very trusting of him to let you borrow a three carat diamond like that."

He cut his eyes to her, raising an eyebrow. It was an odd assumption that he would have borrowed it. It wasn't really his style. But then, it wouldn't occur to Steph that he could have dropped that much on a diamond ring with such a specific purpose. He'd chosen the ring with her in mind. Bought it above board, with his personal expense account. Might have let her keep it if she hadn't left it behind when she'd fled like a thief in the night. Hell. Might still let her keep it, if things went a certain way.

Lucky for him, she took his silence as an _obviously_ and moved on. "What's in the box?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Isn't that my job?"

He kept driving. Eyes on the road.

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Maybe later."

"If I'm a very good girl?"

He cut his eyes to her again. This time, the smile was all big bad wolf. Considering what was in the box, he'd prefer she be a very bad girl. Good girls didn't need to take pregnancy tests. "What do you want do for dinner. We could head back to Rangeman and have whatever Ella made for us. Might speed up the whole getting naked thing. Or we could go for pizza at Shorty's."

She chewed her bottom lip, weighting her options. Torn between pizza and sex. Cute.

"Babe, you'll get me naked either way."

"Then let's go for pizza."

He kissed her hand again, silent laughter rocking his chest. Yep. Pure sunshine.

Shorty's was a rougher place than Steph was used to, but they had good food and a comfortable venue. The clientele was mostly locals and truckers. A few bikers. Nothing too shady or alarming. But then, Steph was raised in a softer part of town. Hadn't spent years in third world countries or rubbing shoulders with gunrunners and kingpins. She stayed close to his side. Her body leaning on his when he pulled her next to him in the corner booth. He slid an arm around her.

Peggy came by the table as soon as she saw them. "Pizza and a pitcher of beer?"

"Just the pizza tonight."

She nodded and went to put in his order. Steph went still for a second. Like she'd only just remembered that they wouldn't be drinking. Because there was an ever growing chance she was pregnant. How she could be so comfortable forgetting was beyond him. It was pretty much all he could think about. But then, he couldn't honestly say it was worry. Not when they were together. Maybe the comfort she sensed from their easy chemistry was enough to keep her from worrying too. And since she had a lot more to worry about if she was pregnant than he did, it might have been more comfortable for her to put on a backburner.

Ranger kissed her head, hiding a half smile. They'd find out one way or the other when he brought her home to Rangeman. After her belly was filled and her body was naked and satisfied. Then they'd have a lot of things to settle between them, depending on the outcome. If the test came out positive, there was a good chance she may be his for more than just a little while.

They were pulling into the underground parking garage when Steph's phone chirped. He'd spent the entire drive home dreaming of all the detailed ways he would make her melt. The parts of her he'd wanted to taste. The soft sounds that would escape her every time she came apart. Damn. The excitement in her eyes had nothing to do with his plans. She had a lead on Ronald Walker. If it wasn't so rewarding to see her terrier instincts kick in, he might have been frustrated. "Rain check?" he asked.

"You don't want to come with me?"

"I will if you want me to. But I've got some things to follow up on. If I can get through them before you finish taking down Paul Bunyan, you can have my undivided attention tonight."

"That does sound pretty good. Can I still take Hal?"

Ranger pulled out his phone and went through the roster of men on duty. Sent a couple texts. "Tell you what. You can have Hal, Ramon, Cal and Binky."

"Four guys? You know Walker's not the Hulk, right?"

"Humor me."

Lucky for him she didn't argue. Just shrugged. Realizing that the intimidation factor of a small army at her back could be an advantage as much as a safety net.

Didn't take more than a couple minutes for them to gear up and file into the garage. Ramon had picked up Steph's gun belt like Ranger had asked. She wasn't in any way happy to see it, but Ranger slung it around her waist anyway and buckled it at her hip and thigh. "I'd appreciate if you'd stand back once you make contact. Let the men do their jobs."

She blew out a sigh like that was painful request. "Fine."

The smile he'd been fighting won. He pulled her into him and kissed her. Felt it when his men averted their eyes. It wasn't anything new to them. They knew she was his. Even if they didn't see it very often. Might be something they had to get used to. A thought that made the smile even harder to fight. He gave her ass a soft pat. "Go get him, tiger."

He watched her get into her Audi with Ramon while the rest of the men piled into a fleet vehicle. One with modified rigging and floor bolts for detainee transfers. Walker would be heading to the police station in ankle restraints. Steph gave him a cute little finger wave and left the garage.

He'd probably have a little more than an hour to go over the necessary paperwork and do the usual rundown on leads. He'd need to go over Gregorio's information in detail. Contact Pritchard. His instincts were telling him there was a connection between Gregorio's silent contacts and the dead CIs.

His cell phone started to vibrate. Steph. That was fast. Not surprising that the apprehension might go that quick, given that his men were professionals, but he figured she'd do the police station thing and head straight back. Calling wasn't on the agenda. "Babe? Everything go alright?"

"Kind of. But there was an incident. There was a bar fight and I kind of broke Cal again."

Ranger digested that for a moment. Pinching the bridge of his nose like it would ward off a migraine. Only Steph could get Rangeman involved in a bar fight. Let alone break a vicious mountain of a man like Cal. Again. "How bad is it?"

"He had a bottle smashed over his head and hit the ground pretty hard."

He brought up the logs on his computer and checked with the control room. "Police band says there's an ambulance en route. Anyone else injured?"

"A few scrapes and bruises, but nothing too serious."

"And you?"

"I'm peachy."

"Good. I'm on my way now. Someone took down Walker, right?"

"Yep."

He paused a second. She'd said that a little too briskly. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Right again."

"Kick to the knee?"

"Shotgun butt to the face."

"Proud of you, Babe."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

It didn't take long to get to Pete's, the little dive bar near St. Francis Hospital. The street was filled with flashing lights. Patrons and curious bystanders loitering on the sidewalks to watch paramedics patch up the burly men in black who were sitting battered and bloody on the curb. He parked the Turbo and got out. Searched Steph to be sure she wasn't hurt before he turned a sharp eye on his men. He showed them the stern warning they'd come to expect from their hardass boss. Judging from the general reactions, only Steph recognized the glimmer of amusement he was trying to hide.

He put his hands on his hips and glared at Hal. "A bar fight?"

The kid turned red around the bright promise of a fist shaped bruise on his cheek. Binky wasn't looking at him at all. "They started it," he said to the asphalt. It took a good deal of control not to laugh. The situation was so ludicrous. Steph had got his men involved in a bar fight and she wasn't even ruffled. And the best part was that she'd been the one to take down her man. Knocking him senseless with one blow. If it weren't for the fact it might encourage them, he would have given them all bonuses from the entertainment budget.

"Get patched up and get back to work while I clean up your mess."

They were quick to obey. Probably figuring they'd gotten off easy. Ramon stepped after them and Ranger caught his eye to make him pause. He'd done well, keeping Steph out of the thick of it. Followed orders to the letter. There'd be a reward coming. "Transport Walker to the police station. See he's all tucked in for the night."

Ramon tipped his head to acknowledge and left. And then Ranger turned to Steph. There was no point hiding his amusement from her. She saw right through him anyway. He scanned her again just to be sure, letting the grin surface. "You never disappoint."

"I aim to please."

Sounded promising. Just thinking about it made his blood hot. "If I didn't have to deal with this, I'd take you back to Rangeman and find out."

"That bad?"

"Not really. But I'll have to follow Cal to St. Francis and get him checked in. Then there will be the police to deal with, reports to file. Might take a couple hours. You want to wait for me at Rangeman?"

She blew out a sigh. Temptation warring with practicality. Temptation didn't win. "I think it might be better to go home. It's late, and I kind of promised to pick up Terry Kroychek and give her a ride to the courthouse tomorrow."

Disappointing, but not surprising. "Understandable. Would you like me to stop by when I'm through here? See if you're still awake?"

"Only if you want to."

The wolf grin pulled up one corner of his mouth. He always wanted to, but it was nice to have an invitation to follow through. Being in her bed was almost as good as having her in his. She got into her silver Audi alone and drove off. Headed toward home.

Ranger followed the ambulance to St. Francis and watched them unload Cal in the emergency bay. He was still unconscious. A laceration across his tattooed forehead. He'd need an MRI to make sure there wasn't any permanent damage. Ranger filled out the paperwork and handed it back to the nurse. Contacting the control room. Nollen answered. "Yeah boss?"

"I wanted an update. Is Walker in jail?"

"Ramon hasn't messaged confirmation, but he's at the police station now."

"Good. I've got Cal checked in at St. Francis. I need someone to wait here while I follow up with the police. Is Stephanie home yet?"

"She's on her way," Nollen said. Then he paused. "Huh. That's weird. She just turned around."

"Where's she headed?" Her parent's house? Morelli's?

Ranger didn't like the darkness that filled his chest when that thought crossed his mind. She had no reason to see Morelli. And Ranger had no right to object if she did. Just because she might have his baby didn't mean he owned her. Shit.

"She's heading away from Chambersburg. Back toward center city."

The darkness eased and he chastised himself. There was something seriously wrong with him. Spend the day with the constant promise of sex and suddenly he's a jealous boyfriend. Dick. Steph might have changed her mind about waiting at Rangeman. Hell. She might be making a convenience store run for candy bars since she didn't get the sexual satisfaction she'd been anticipating. No matter what she was doing, he wasn't on firm enough ground to justify having feeling about it. Not unless she was in danger.

The unease didn't go away, despite his Zen revelation. Fucking dick. "Keep an eye on her. Let me know when she gets where she's going."

Nollen didn't give him the 'willdo boss' he usually did. The hesitation was more obvious than that. "She's stopped at a carwash on 3rd."

Weird. Even for Stephanie. And definitely a break from her normal pattern. He couldn't remember her ever going to a carwash. Most of the time she either let the rain wash the rust wagons she bought or one of Ranger's guys would do it behind her back when he lost a bet. Even if Steph had decided to be a more responsible car owner now that she was driving a higher end vehicle, she would never have done it this late at night in that neighborhood. "Who's near her?"

"I've got Raphael and Woody about two miles away. Three more cars in the area."

His instincts were whispering to him again. Not good. "Send all of them, but have them stay covert. I don't want her spooked if she's not in danger. I'm right behind."

"You got it, boss."

He disconnected. It was overkill. He knew that. At least in his rational mind. Trouble was, his irrational mind was working overtime these days. It took a fair amount of his concentration most of the time to ignore. Nollen called back five minutes later.

"Woody's on scene. Said he pulled up just in time to see a big guy get into Steph's passenger seat before she pulled into the carwash."

"Big how?"

"5'10", 250lbs?"

"Was he black?"

"Didn't say. He was wearing sweats with the hood up. Might not have got a good look."

That was a bit on the flairless side for Baller Thatch, but he was the only man Steph knew who might have fit that description. Thatch was shady as hell sometimes, but he was pretty honorable, considering he was a drug dealer. Ranger was confident he'd never hurt her. The disquiet in his chest didn't ease, though. "Have Woody and Raphael take up shadow posts at the carwash exit. Have the others watching the sides and entrance. I want an open channel."

Nollen acknowledged. The sound coming through the Turbo's Bluetooth expanded and he knew all Rangeman communications were being redirected to the same bandwidth. Each man checked in with a verbal call sign when they reached their position. Watching the silver Audi appear and disappear in the faint light that shone between the carwash brushes. Ranger reached the lot just as the light turned green and the brushes fell still. Steph's car pulling out of the three sided concrete box.

"I see movement," Raphael said. "Confirm."

"Two on foot," Woody answered. "Hanging back."

"I see one of foot, rapid approach!"

"Stop him," Ranger said, but before either of his men could respond a pop rang out.

"Shots fired! Shots fired!" someone was shouting from the open door behind him. Ranger was out of the car and running. Weapon in hand. Zip in his periphery. Zero catching up. They sprinted for the silver car. A shadow stalked toward the passenger side with his gun raised. A glint of nickle in the darkness. Ranger lined up his sight mid stride and squeezed the trigger. The man's shoulder rolled back in a spray of red and he fell.

Ranger pointed at the passenger side. "Don't let him bleed out! Zip, with me!"

They split off and did as they were told. A well oiled machine. Raphael and Woody were sprinting after the other assailants on foot, but Ranger's focus went pinpoint when he reached Steph's door. Wrenching it open. She flinched. "Babe." He closed around her, but she resisted. Her darkened hands holding Thatcher's chest to stop the bleeding. Tears streaming down her face. "It's okay. You can let go. We've got him."

Zero was in the back seat. Dropping Thatch back so that he could take Stephanie's place. Ranger scooped her up to clear the driver's seat and Zip slid in. Steph's arms were a death grip around Ranger's neck. He held onto her tight to keep her from falling apart. "Head straight to St. Francis," he told Zip. "They'll be waiting in the emergency bay." The man nodded and took off with a chirp of tires. He gestured for Vince to do the same with the gunman and then turned his attention to Steph. He kissed her temple. "Are you okay?"

She nodded like she couldn't feel her body. "Yes."

"The blood?"

"All Thatcher's."

He let out the breath he'd been holding. Grateful. She'd be upset and traumatized, but she wasn't hurt. As resilient as Steph was, she'd bounce back in no time.

A blue and white pulled into the lot with a siren chirp and Steph's friend Eddie Gazarra climbed out, turning three shades whiter when he saw the blood. "Is she—"

"It's not hers," Ranger said. "Archibald Thatcher was shot in her car. He's on his way to St. Francis. Vince has the gunman in custody, also on his way to St. Francis. I'm taking Stephanie home. Any statements you need can be made in the morning."

Ranger didn't wait to see Gazarra's reaction. He was getting Steph away from this circus as quickly as possible. She was all shock and adrenaline right now. Soon she'd be shaking from the burn off, and then the exhaustion would take over.

"There were two more," she told him. Trying to keep her body from shaking.

"We're aware. Raphael and Woody are in pursuit."

"Don't you need to oversee all this stuff?"

"Not tonight. Tank can handle it." Because there was no way in hell he was leaving her alone. Chances were good she'd crash as soon as he got her cleaned up and cozy in his soft comfy bed, but there was also a chance the shock would get worse. He needed to look after her tonight. For his own peace of mind. "Tomorrow, we're going to discuss why you thought it necessary to have an unsecured meeting with a drug dealer without calling for backup."

She didn't argue. Possible she was all too aware of what might have happened. Knew he was right. It was also possible she'd hit the wall and exhaustion had drained away all her fight. He opened the car door for her and helped her into the passenger seat. Belting her in when she didn't lift her arms. Christ. He didn't like seeing her covered in blood. Even if it wasn't hers. He slid behind the wheel and pulled out into the night.

Steph watched the city move over them for a minute. "Where are we going?"

"Rangeman."

"I need to go home."

"Babe. You were just involved in a shooting. There's no guarantee Thatcher was the only intended target."

"You're not putting me on lockdown."

"It's not lockdown. I'd just be happier if you were secured tonight."

"I can be secured in my own apartment."

He glanced her way. Trying to read her. If he could figure out what her objection was he might be able to reason. All he saw was emptiness. He knew he could force the issue. Drag her upstairs and toss her onto his bed like a caveman. But that would only upset her. Fuck. Why was loving her so difficult? "Are you sure?" he asked. Praying she'd change her mind.

"I'm sure." The uncertainty was there under the determination. She didn't want to be weak. Hiding in his apartment from all the bad things in the world but him. He couldn't blame her. Didn't matter anyway. He wasn't leaving her no matter where they ended up.

And then, like a bad omen, Morelli's green SUV was waiting for them in her lot.

It was too late to turn around. The second they slowed beside her building Morelli had her door open, dragging her out of the seat and into his arms. "Eddie called me. Said you'd left the scene, so I came straight here." He looked her over and fear filled his eyes when he saw the blood. "You're not—"

"I'm okay. It's not mine."

"Thank God." He crushed her to his chest like he would never let her go again. Like fucking hell he wouldn't. Ranger opened his door and stood. Willing every ounce of discipline he had into keeping his expression passive. Morelli went still. The utter loathing on his face mirroring the fury in Ranger's soul. "I oughta kick your ass for this, Manoso. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"It wasn't his fault, Joe. It was mine," Steph said, trying to pull Morelli's focus. Like Ranger needed protecting. "I went to see Thatcher on my own. Ranger didn't even know Thatcher had called me."

"You should have asked for backup."

"I know. Ranger said the same thing."

A muscle was working in Joe's jaw as he glared at Ranger. Hating that they agreed on something. "I suppose he found you with that damn tracking system he's always sneaking onto your car?"

"Stephanie is fully aware of the GPS unit and where it is," Ranger said to him. "And yes. My control room noticed her double back and thought it was suspicious. We arrived just in time to see shots fired."

"You catch the sonofabitch?"

"One out of three. I hope to improve that ratio before the night's out. The gunman is already at St. Francis with a GSW to the chest."

"I'm surprised he's still breathing."

"Dead men can't give up their associates."

He could see Morelli trying hard to find fault with that. He couldn't. He unclenched his jaw with some effort. "Thank you."

Ranger would rather Morelli shove his gratitude up his ass and back off. Unfortunately, that didn't look like it was going to happen. And if Ranger forced the issue now, they'd all be losers. As much as he hated it. He gave Morelli a curt nod to acknowledge the dignity he'd sacrificed to say it. And then he let his eyes fall on Steph.

She was still unsure. Pinned to Morelli's chest like she didn't know what to think or feel. He wished that she would volunteer to go with him. Or tell Morelli to fuck off and let Ranger have her. But that would have been a stupid move, even if she was willing to take that leap of faith with him.

Fuck.

He could have lost her tonight. And instead of curling around her and feeling the peaceful rhythm of her sleeping beside him, he had to leave her with the prick who thought peanut butter and bread were more important than she was. The man she kept going back to again and again, despite the fact he didn't deserve her.

If Morelli took advantage of her tonight, he was a dead man.

"She's on your watch," Ranger said with every ounce of cold fury he was trying to hide. Morelli gave him a nod of begrudging respect. Ranger didn't take his eyes off of Steph until he dropped into his Porsche. Put it in gear and peeled away.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

The high performance engine obeyed every surge in his carefully bridled emotions. Slicing through the cool night air. He was furious with Morelli. Almost as much as he was with himself. He should have listened to his instincts. Ignored her indignity and taken her home with him anyway. Where Morelli couldn't interfere. Or knocked Morelli out like he'd wanted to do so badly.

God. He needed to get a grip. He was letting his wants get the better of him. Stephanie Plum wasn't his. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Things weren't just black and white between them. They never had been. Morelli wasn't a villain, or a bad guy. And Ranger wasn't the good guy. They were just two flawed men trying their best to love the same crazy woman. To protect her from a universe hell bent on her destruction. In a sick way, that made them partners. Members of a brotherhood underneath the rivalry. And Ranger didn't have any right to hate Morelli for looking after her tonight. He'd been the one to love her first. Best. Threw all in with her while Ranger was still watching from the sidelines. It would be selfish to hate that Morelli would be the one to watch over her. Soothing her, and cuddling her, and loving her.

While she might be growing another man's baby.

Fuck.

This was just further evidence of his damage. That he could not only shove his way into her life and steal her without any conscience or good intentions, but knock her up and fuck any chance she might have at a normal life with someone else.

No. Ranger couldn't blame himself for that. He would have never done that to her intentionally, he wasn't that evil. If it had already happened, he would take full advantage of whatever she was willing to give him. And if it hadn't, he would have to live with the fact that she was better off with someone else.

No matter how much he hated it.

He called Nollen in the control room. "Get me up to speed."

There was cold silence on the open channel for a long second. Then Tank answered. "Thought you were going off line for the night."

"Morelli's on it."

More silence. Thicker this time. Because no matter how hard his men tried to mind their own business, they all understood the implications. Tank hadn't even exhaled. Ranger could hear the _I'm sorry, man_ in his friend's pause. It was something he would never say in front of their men. Or to Ranger's face. Or at all. "Thatch is in surgery," Tank went on as if the moment never happened. "He's touch and go. Too early for a prognosis. Vince logged about five minutes ago. The first assailant is locked down in an isolated ward, full police detail. Being treated for what their calling a Hail Mary penetrating wound in his upper right thoracic. That was a hellova shot. Missed the clavicle, lung and the right subclavian artery."

"And the other two assailants?"

"Raphael caught one a half mile from the site. He's bringing him in now. Sounded like he was in rough shape from a tumble off the second story of a fire escape, but Raphael assured me he wasn't in such dire need for medical attention that he couldn't answer a few questions in one of our holding cells."

"Good. I'd like to have a word with him myself."

Tank went quiet again. Maybe thinking of a warning against interrogating while angry. Must have figured it would fall on deaf ears. "Woody called in last known location of the third guy. Lost visual when he cut through an alley onto Hamilton. I heard PD put out an APB. Should know in the next half hour if we lost him."

Ranger disconnected and let his foot press into the gas again. Ignoring his own strict rules against speeding. He pulled into the Rangeman garage and headed straight down to the holding cells in the second basement.

Tank was standing outside the door. Didn't look overly thrilled to see him. He also knew there was no point trying to argue with Ranger. He gave his friend an incremental nod and opened the door. Letting Ranger into the room. A dark man was chained to the chair wearing indigo blue and a smug smile through the bloody bruises. His smile was missing a few teeth. From the red on his chin, Ranger would guess they were recent losses. Maybe acquired when he fell face first onto a closed dumpster lid.

"He say anything yet?" Ranger asked Tank, his stone eyes never leaving his target.

"No."

Good. The man swallowed when Ranger stalked toward him. Tried to hide the fact he knew he was facing the Big Bad Wolf. Ranger was the stuff of nightmares in some circles. The kind of man gangbangers and pimps told bedtimes stories about. Boogieman personified. He paced toward the chair and watched the man's eyes dilate in fear. "OCG?"

The man spit on the floor. Refused to answer the easy question. He was in OCG colors. Tats showing on his neck. Ranger stood over him, making no threatening movements at all. "I'll ask again. In case you thought this was optional. You're on Skeezer's crew, right?"

"Man, I ain't sayin' nothin'."

The chair tipped back with a flick of Ranger's foot and the guy's heart stopped. Ranger caught it before he toppled over. Leaving him hanging mid air just long enough to shutter his lungs. Then he clomped onto four legs again with his teeth rattling. "Name."

"Jesus Christ! Ray! They call me Ray!"

"And you work for Skeezer."

"Fuckin' piece of sh—"

Ranger's hand closed around Ray's throat and tipped him back again, cutting off the sound. "How do you see this going? You think you get to be a hardass and keep your mouth shut?"

"Fuck. You."

Ranger raised an eyebrow. Very slowly. His unblinking gaze anchored to Ray's ever widening eyes. Ranger's grip tightened on Ray's neck until his air choked off. And then Ranger leaned close. His voice little more than an exhale. "Let me explain to you the deep, dark shithole you've found yourself in. Ray. Because of you and your piece of shit boss, not only did the woman I want have a man shot in her car and a gun pointed at her, but now she's likely reconciling with her ex instead of waiting for me in my bed like we'd planned. So in all honesty, I'd rather you keep your mouth shut so I have an excuse to beat the living shit out of you."

"Holy fuck."

"That's the first smart thing you've said all night. Now, you gonna volunteer what I want to know? Or do I get to work out some of my personal issues on your face?"

"I tell you he'll kill me."

"And I won't?"

"You're too buddy buddy with the cops."

"I employ cleaners and fixers. You think if I kill you the cops will know you're even missing let alone find you?" Ray swallowed. Reality sinking in. "Who called a hit on Baller Thatch?"

"I ain't sayin—" Ranger's backhand cracked across his face, a spray of blood hitting the floor.

"Try again."

"I don't know." Ranger caught his shirt and lifted him for another blow. "Shit! I don't know! I just do what I'm told!"

"By who?"

"Salazar!"

"Salazar took my bullet already. This is above his pay grade. I want to know who wants Baller Thatch dead."

"Shit, I don't know, I swear to god! He didn't say nothing before he started shooting. Just that we were getting two for the price of one."

Ranger dropped him and the chair clattered onto all fours again. Jarring Ray's body. Shit. Not good. "The girl was a target."

"Fuck." Ranger grasped onto Ray's swelling hand where it was pinned behind his back, grinding the broken bones together. "Fucking shit! Yes! Yes your girl was a target! Shit! Fucking hell!"

"That girl is off limits. Skeezer and I had an understanding."

"That understanding ain't worth shit if you're dead!"

And there it was.

Someone had called a hit on him and Skeezer thought that meant it was open season. Fucking idiot. Ray gasped when Ranger released him. Chewing the inside of his cheek to keep the pain at bay. "Who's calling the shots? It's not Skeezer. He doesn't have the brains or the balls."

Ray didn't answer. Not with the way his teeth were clenched. Didn't matter. Ranger knew the writing on this wall by heart. Someone was stirring up the street gangs for a reason. Starting a war to gain power. It wasn't likely underlings would know jack shit. He needed to lay hands on Skeezer.

"Where is that chickenshit boss of yours hiding?" Ray shook his head. All his fight gone. He didn't know. "His second?" Another shake. He was done. Ranger glared at him, then turned to where Tank was still standing in the doorway, his arms crossed. Nothing showing in his stone cold expression. "See what else he knows and then get rid of him."

Tank nodded. Cracking his knuckles as he stepped into the room to take Ranger's place. He knew exactly what that order meant. He'd use the intimidation Ranger had started to get what he could. Then he'd gift-wrap the son of a bitch for the TPD and drop him off on their doorstep like a Secret Santa.

But Ray didn't need to know that.

o o o

Ranger didn't sleep that night. He was too busy fielding calls from his men and reaching out to every contact he had looking for Skeezer. The piece of shit was nowhere. Laying low in a spider hole, thinking he was out of Ranger's reach. Little did he know. Ranger could find a grain of rice in a sandpit. And unfortunately for Skeezer, he had a hell of a lot of reasons to give it every ounce of his precision focus.

It was nearing seven when Steph's image showed up on his phone. He stared at it a second. Reminding himself that he didn't have any right to hate the cop for sleeping over at his girlfriend's apartment.

Didn't help.

"Morelli still there?" he asked in way of greeting.

"No. He just left for work."

"How's your mental health?"

"About what you'd expect. I'm dealing."

"Good. Ramon is on his way over with your car. I'd appreciate it if you didn't leave the building until he gets there. We were only able to catch a second assailant last night. The third is still at large. Turns out they're from Skeezer's crew. Said they almost got two for the price one."

"Jeez."

"Yeah. Seems you were already on the hit list."

"Did you find that out before or after you beat the hell out of the guy?"

"Would you believe most of the damage happened during the initial takedown?"

"Do you want me to?"

A smile pulled at his mouth. She thought he'd been responsible for the fire escape injuries. And wasn't freaked out by the idea. As if the monster hiding inside him was only dangerous to her heart.

Strange, surprising woman.

"The information we got out of him will be useful, but while it might make some things simpler, it also makes them a hell of a lot more complication. Skeezer's not smart enough to mastermind something this big. He's just choosing sides. That will have a predictable effect on the other kingpins. Problem is, it doesn't give us a single clue who might be behind it all, and now they've got a small army."

"How did you get him to tell you all that?"

"I asked nicely."

"Someone took out Tommy Thumbs."

"I heard. He was one of Grizzoli's triggermen. One of Colichio's was on the block, too, with the officers left behind by Stolle. It's a systematic sweep of all the major opposition. A demonstration of power to encourage the other players to choose sides too."

"Why am I on the list?"

"Because you started asking questions."

"So did you. Why aren't you on the list?"

"Who said I wasn't?"

"Jeez."

"Babe," he said, smiling again. "As long as you don't take any undue risks neither of us will be vulnerable to attack. And this is a good sign. It means we're getting close enough to ruffle feathers. Thatcher tell you anything useful last night before he was shot?"

"A little."

"Good. I'll find you later today. Until then, be careful. Keep Ramon with you. He'll come up and collect you from your apartment when he arrives."

"Just one guy? Are you sure you don't want to assign at least a dozen?"

He couldn't help the grin. She was such a smartass. "Babe."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Ranger spoke to Ramon just before he arrived at Steph's building in her freshly detailed Audi. Explained her plans for apprehending her assault with a deadly weapon. Apparently Tank had given the Audi to their car guy Hank last night. Had him do a rush job to replace the window and the front passenger seat. Removing any trace the traumatic crime had ever happened. Steph would appreciate that. Maybe as much as Ranger did.

Knowing that Steph was with one of his men eased his mind enough that he was finally able to relax and catch a couple hours of sleep. Leaving Tank in charge of the manhunts for both Alvarez and Skeezer. With any luck, he'd find Skeezer soon. He wanted to have a few very specific words with him before he saw him to prison.

Good thing a few hours was all he needed. He showered and dressed. Checked the logs. Ella had left breakfast for him on his kitchen counter. He laid some lox over the half whole wheat bagel and took it into his den to pull up Steph's GPS location.

This would be an awkward meeting if she'd slept with Morelli last night. He knew he didn't have any grounds to be jealous if she had. Steph was her own woman. A free agent. He didn't have any right to her fidelity. Not yet.

God. He needed to know if she was pregnant. Settle the question once and for all. Which meant he had to get her into his apartment. A task that would be much more difficult if she chose to pull away again.

Her GPS came up. Police station. Must have made another apprehension. He called Ramon.

"Tell me about Steph's capture."

He could hear the pause in Ramon's silence. Like he was holding in a heavy sigh. "Billy Martin. Arrested for public nudity. Gets delusions when he's not on his meds, thinks he's a bullfrog. And lucky me, he wasn't on his meds. Stripped buck naked and ran around free willy for a minute while Lula chased his ass. Almost ran into Steph. I had to take him down."

Ranger fought a smile. "Define 'take him down'."

Again, the absent sigh. "He was sprinting at her full tilt, so I got between him and Steph. Wrestled him on the ground until I could get hold of his arms and cuff him."

"You wrestled the naked guy."

"Unfortunately. It was almost as bad at that Lucho Libre in SoCal."

The smile won. "I'm heading to the bonds office. Keep her there until I arrive."

"You got it, boss."

Ranger disconnected, the grin turning into a laugh. He didn't know about Billy Martin, but he remembered the Lucho Libre. Not often you see a 5'9" guy like Ramon take down 300lbs of Mexican wrestler wearing nothing but a bright blue mask and a sweaters worth of body hair.

He fit his gun in place and took up his keys, heading down the stairs to the parking garage. Tank fell in line with him when he hit the fifth floor. Didn't say a word. Didn't have to. Tank was backing him up. Watching his back like old times because he knew his friend was in someone's crosshairs. Ranger only glanced at him to acknowledge that. His smile all on the inside.

Steph's silver Audi was parked out front when he got to the bonds office. He pulled his 911 Turbo into the space behind her. Tank parking on his tail. Tank stayed in the SUV to watch the street for signs of danger. Ranger gave him a tip of his head and angled out of the Porsche.

The usual suspects were in the front lobby. Like doe sensing a change in the wind, they stilled. Aware of the predator's approach. Connie stopped filing her nails. Her eyes anchoring to him like Lula's as the glass door swung shut behind him. Not an unusual reaction. It was pretty much the response he always got from women. The only difference here is that the still of his arrival was followed by a furtive exchange of glances, and then a turn toward Stephanie, who was standing in the bare bones cage of two by fours that would one day be Vinnie's office. She had her back to him, but he could see the way her posture changed at the silence. She knew he was there. Didn't turn to look at him, though. Could be because she was giving Vinnie every ounce of that honed stubborn fury. Could be because she didn't want to face him after getting back with Morelli.

Moment of truth.

Vinnie's little ferret eyes fell on him over Steph's shoulder and he gulped. Knowing Ranger would take her side no matter what the argument was. He crossed the office and came into her field of gravity, letting his chest brush against her back. She didn't flinch. He settled a hand on the back of her neck and felt it when she turned supple. No resistance at all.

Didn't sleep with Morelli.

Good to know.

Vinnie wet his lips, looking appropriately terrified of the bounty hunting mercenary he'd been employing for years. "You called in the big guns?"

"Does she need to?"

Steph shifted, leaning against Ranger's chest while giving her cousin the pissed off woman vibe. "We were just discussing how his stupid ads putting my face all over Trenton was effecting my performance as an bond enforcement agent. His argument is that his photoshopped wet dream fantasy was bringing in business. My argument was that if he didn't stop, even Grandma Plum and Auntie Mim wouldn't be able to save him."

Vinnie tossed up his hands. "Alright, alright! You win! I was getting chump change anyway. I'll take you off the ads."

"Wise choice," Ranger said, keeping the cold stare reined in so he didn't undermine Steph's authority. She was a strong woman. She could fight her own battles. But it was nice to have her back once in a while. He leaned down enough to look at the side of her face. When she turned to meet his gaze, they were only inches apart. Close enough that he could kiss her. "I need to talk to you."

She nodded. Throwing Vinnie one last dirty look before she followed him out of the barebones office. Ramon was watching them. Took an obligatory step when they passed by like he meant to keep to her shadow, like he'd been ordered. Good man. Ranger stilled him with a look. They needed a moment alone.

"Heard there was some excitement this afternoon," he said, pushing the glass front door open.

"Never a dull moment. I feel bad for Ramon, though. He wasn't happy about it."

Ranger shrugged. "It wasn't the first naked guy Ramon's had to tackle." He tugged her into the alley next to the bonds office to reduce the risk of prying eyes and leaned into her, pressing her back against the bricks. Her eyes dilated to dark sapphires. "So tell me about last night."

And just like that, her walls went half up. Hesitance. Like she thought he'd be angry that Morelli stayed over. Likely sleeping in her bed. That was so far outweighed by the fact she wasn't shutting him out, though, that it was hard to care where that poor sap Morelli had crashed. She hadn't gotten back with him. And that meant she was still open to Ranger.

He smiled, kissing her softly. Lowering his voice to velvet in that way that made her melt. "What did Thatch say?"

The worry cleared. "He said Mini's afraid to reach out for help. Which I'm guessing she'll be even more reluctant to do, after what happened to Thatcher. And he said that when she was following the supply chains, it all kept leading back to Alvarez."

Ranger drew back an inch to look in her eyes. "How credible was her information?"

"I don't know. But she said that's why Alvarez ran. She confronted him about his involvement. Whatever was said between them, she must have been really freaked out by it because she skipped on easy charges a couple days later. Do you think she's hiding from the same people as Alvarez?"

"Hard to say. Gregorio didn't find a link between sellers, but he was trying to tread lightly. Obviously she was digging deep enough to make waves. We should go over the FBI files again. Talk to Carson. Maybe there were threats that weren't documented."

Steph frowned. Wasn't thrilled about the idea of talking to Carson. He held in a smile. "Babe, he's a good agent. Knows what he's doing."

"He's also a jerk."

"Aren't we all," he said, kissing her again. Enjoying the reward of her yielding body. He pulled back before he lost focus. "I could meet with him and catch you up after, if you'd prefer."

"Maybe," she whispered, fisting his shirt tight to drag his mouth back onto hers. She'd caught him by surprise. Something few people were able to do. And the fact that she wanted him so much was a rush that had him surrendering to her in every way. He pressed into her until their bodies were rubbing together. Letting her explore his mouth like he was exploring hers. God, he was in such trouble. This woman had burrowed so deep that it would take a miracle to get her out now. Even if she gave him up and moved on, he'd still never be able to let her go fully. He might regret that later, but for now all he wanted was to get her home. Use the test to prove she was his. Take possession of her body and her heart the way she had taken possession of his.

He pulled back again with a grin, leaning his head on hers. "I have appointments this afternoon, but we can discuss this when I'm through. In the meantime, you still have Mini's number?" She nodded. "You should try leaving another message. See if she'll be more willing to return it now that things are getting serious."

From the look on her face, Steph understood all too well how serious things were getting. And she was very hot and bothered about it. Ranger knew the amusement was crinkling at corners of his eyes. He kissed her just once more and tugged her toward the street again before he changed his mind and made a very intimate, very public mistake.

He slung an arm around her neck and kissed the top of her head on the walk back to his car. Letting the warmth in his chest seep into the rest of him. One of these days, he might have to tell her what loving her meant to him. That day might be soon, if things worked out in his favor. He wanted her for himself. There was no point denying that. And if he got what he wanted, he'd have to face the fact that he would be completely at her mercy. She'd have power over him he'd never given any other. The power to own him. Accept him.

Break him.

As if she didn't have that power already.

An engine was coming on them fast from behind. A small, foreign pickup with an empty bed. It blew past and something metal clattered onto the blacktop, rolling under the silver Audi. Ranger knew what it was the second he heard it. A silver quart sized paint can with no label. The inside rattling as it rolled toward them. He caught her in his arms and threw them to the ground an instant before the blast tore through her car and shattered the air. Engulfing them in a whirl of flames.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Heat and flames rushed over them in a wave. The concussive blast forcing them down faster than gravity could. He landed on Stephanie. Hard. Curling around her like a shield to protect her from the blast. Not the fall. Alarms were singing. The air filled with dying embers. The burning carcass of her German luxury car throwing billows of smoke toward the sky.

He tried to scan the street for further threats, but all he saw was Stephanie. Laying too still under his body. He wasn't breathing. Not until her face pinched with effort. Her brow furrowing as she tried to open her eyes. "Steph." She didn't seem able to speak for a second. It squeezed his heart like nothing else. "Babe! Babe, are you with me?"

"Yes," she managed. "I think so."

"Are you injured?"

"I don't know. What happened?"

"IED. Someone threw it at us and sped away. Didn't realize your car would take the brunt of it."

"Not my cute Audi!"

A little light broke through his concern. Cutting straight through him. Just like the piercing halos of her clear, bright blue eyes reflecting the open sky. "I'll get you another one." He let his hands wander over her, making sure she was in one piece. Her elbows were scraped up pretty bad, but she wasn't bleeding anywhere else. No signs of outward damage. Which meant all he had to worry about was what damage could have been caused on the inside when she fell.

Her eyes focus enough to see that the back of his shirt was smoldering. "Omigod. Are you—"

"I'm fine. I've been through worse." An understatement. But now probably wasn't the moment to recount all the times he'd been this close to death. Wouldn't make her feel any better.

He grasped her hand and lifted her slowly. Carefully. Praying there hadn't been any injury done to whatever she might have on board. She blinked against the smoky haze. Her eyes focusing on the car. They widened. "Holy shit."

Cute. Like it was her first car roast.

Tank and Ramon had come running when the IED went off, but they didn't interfere. Not when they saw that Ranger was conscious. Tank was watching the street. Alert for further signs of danger. "You want to move her inside?"

"Give her a minute." Ranger searched her eyes. Watching the way her pupils dilated to see if they were even and sharp. In case she hit her head hard enough to cause a concussion. He wanted to get her away from the fumes, but he was afraid to move her. A choice between breathing burning rubber and possible miscarriage. Ranger suppressed a surge of darkness. "That fucker is done," his said, the calm deadly anger tangible on his voice. "I want to know what shithole Skeezer is hiding in, because he's getting my personal boot up his ass before I haul him in."

Tank nodded. "I'm already on it, but the coward's gone to ground. Not so much as a blip."

"Turn up the heat. I warned him what would happen if he moved on her."

"You told Skeezer I was off limits?" Steph asked. Blinking those innocent eyes at him.

Shit. He'd wanted to spare her the details. Keep her from knowing the lengths he'd go to. Fat chance of that, with her car in flames. "I paid him a visit after I got Hal's report. Before bodies started dropping. He knows the reach I have in the Trenton underground. I don't take sides, but I've made a lot of connections over the years. Enough to shut him down in a very permanent way if he crosses me. Guess he thought the rules changed now that we're both on someone's hit list. I told you he wasn't that smart." He took the chance on lifting her. Gently. Slowly. Her knees wouldn't hold her. Ranger wrapped around her waist and pinned her to his body. "I'm taking her to the hospital."

"No, I'm okay."

"Babe."

"I'm fine. I swear. I'm just a little shaken. It's not my first car explosion either."

He held her gaze, saying with a look what he wouldn't say out loud. Steph had been in deep denial about the possibility from the beginning. Because that cheap test she took had come out negative. He knew this wasn't something she wanted. Knew just how much it would screw up the life she thought she'd have. And he knew it wasn't fair for him to have any feelings on it one way or the other. But the bare fact was, Steph was nine days late. Unless something more concrete proved otherwise, he had to consider the ever growing possibility that she might be pregnant. That she might have a part of him growing inside her that would mark her as his. She frowned a little like she'd read his thoughts. "There's nothing to worry about," she said pointedly.

"Do you know that for certain?"

She opened her mouth to tell him yes, but she couldn't. There was no proof otherwise, and she knew it. "I'm just a little scraped up. I'll be fine."

Digging in her heels. Didn't want to believe it was still a possibility. He wouldn't argue his case in front of his men. This was a private matter between them. Last thing he needed was for a whisper to move through his ranks. She didn't deserve that. But hell would freeze over before he would let this go. On the cruel chance Steph really was carrying his child, he wasn't about to take any chances. He'd just have to prove it to her.

"Take her inside to get her personal items while I make some calls," he said to Tank, his eyes still on Stephanie. "Then I'm taking her home."

His friend nodded and wrapped a giant hand around her bicep like she was made of fine bone china. Supporting her until he was sure she could walk on her own. Connie and Lula were watching them through the shattered bonds office windows. Shocked and relieved and worried all at the same time. Ranger pulled out his phone. Silvio answered on the first ring. "I want you to trace a plate for me. Root out the owner. Known associates. Known gangs operating in the owner's vicinity. I want to know who could have been driving it and who their friends are and I want the report to go to Tank."

Silvio acknowledged the information and Ranger disconnected. Called Sanchez. Gave him the information too as well as the last known direction it was traveling. He'd find it. Whether the driver would still be inside was debatable.

Ranger delegated the burning mess to Tank with a look, collected Stephanie, and put her in the 911 Turbo. Started for Rangeman. "You really should let me take you to the hospital."

"No. I know the checking out you want done has nothing to do with my injuries and the last thing I need is for someone at St. Francis to overhear the word pregnant."

"I don't have to take you to St. Francis."

She shook her head again. "It's just some skin on my elbows. Not a big deal."

"We'll see about that," he said quietly.

It took her a minute to realize they weren't headed for her apartment. He cut her off when she opened her mouth to protest. "Steph, you don't have a car, and your bodyguard is helping Tank deal with the fallout from the latest attempt on your life. You're coming home with me, whether you like it or not."

He saw it when that sunk in and she sagged into the seat. Protesting wouldn't make any difference. More importantly, they couldn't do this at her apartment. Especially with the chance Morelli might show up again. If Ranger got his proof, things between he and Steph were about to get very real. Last thing he needed was Morelli getting in the way.

He brought her up to his penthouse apartment and tossed his keys onto the sideboard before he dragged her into his bedroom. Sat her onto his bed. He went to his desk and got the first aid kit, along with the box he'd had shipped to the pawn shop. He tossed it next to her on the duvet. She eyed it suspiciously. "What's that?"

He lifted her elbow without answering. She sucked in some air at the alcohol swab. The scrapes weren't that bad. A couple layers of skin on her elbows. No gravel or debris. He'd been right. Not a lot of outward damage. Now he just had to worry about the rest. "Leverage."

Steph went right for the box. He let her. No point dancing around the subject. She found the digital pregnancy test inside and made her _oh, boy_ face. Then she got a flash of panic when she realized it was the box they'd picked up from Gregorio. Ranger shook his head. "He doesn't know what was in it. I purchased it online through an alias and had it shipped to him to avoid a connection to Rangeman. I admit, it might have been excessive as far as secrecy is concerned, but it was safer than walking into a drugstore if you're avoiding gossip."

It was an untraceable technique he'd used to acquire things in the past. Things that were either illegal or incriminating in some other way. This wasn't likely to raise any red flags, but considering the impact even the implication would have on her life, he wasn't about to take any chances.

"So why is it leverage?"

He lifted her other elbow so that he could see it. "If it's positive, you let me take you to a hospital."

It took her a second to run down all her options. She didn't have any. "Fine," she said on a sigh. He fought a smile. He was in such deep shit and he didn't even care.

He finished patching her up and she closed herself into his bathroom. He stretched out on his side of the bed, willing his body to relax. Trying very hard not to think about what might happen next. Nothing good ever came from considering the future, but staring down the barrel of possible fatherhood again made it nearly impossible not to.

The door opened too soon. Steph was standing in the opening looking nervous and unsure. Cute. She'd come to wait with him. He crooked a finger at her. "Come here."

"Haven't we done this before?"

"The circumstances were a little different then."

"How."

He grabbed her the second she entered his strike zone, dragging her on top of him until he could roll her underneath. Relishing the feel of her. She always felt incredible rubbing against his body like that. But it was more this time. The deep, glowing heat in his chest stronger than in the rest of him. "For starters," he said, gathering her into him. "We weren't sexually active at the time, and you weren't in my apartment taking a pregnancy test."

She made a little whimper when he kissed her. Relaxing into him like she knew they should be one. He let his knee press into her center when her thighs parted for him. Wanted to touch every part of her at once. A promise of what could be if they let it. The test only needed three minutes, but it was getting harder to care. She melted when he tasted her throat. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

He grinned against her skin. "Babe, I might have already knocked you up. What's the worst that could happen?"

She didn't get a chance to answer. Her phone had started to ring. Pulling her attention away. "Don't answer it."

"I have to answer it. What if it's important?"

"What if it's not?"

"My car was just blown up. There are people who will want to know I didn't die."

Damn. She was right. He was already being unforgivably selfish just putting her in this position. Not only had he knocked her up, he couldn't even keep his hands off her long enough to confirm it. Letting the people who love her suffer so he could be inside of her would be beyond selfish.

He lifted off her enough to let her reach her bag. She made a guilty little grimace when she saw who was calling. "It's Morelli."

Perfect. Morelli would have already gotten the full report by now. He'd know there hadn't been casualties. Ranger focused on her neck again, gratified when she trembled. He already had his hands under her shirt, but it wasn't enough. He pushed the shirt out of the way and kissed her sternum, then her belly, inching his way down toward the place his baby might be growing.

"I can't not answer."

"No one's stopping you." In fact, the longer that phone rang, the more he was liking the idea of pulling her pants down while Morelli was listening on the other line. Kissing the parts of her that would make it hard for her not to pant and coo. Steph held out as long as she could before she answered, half desperate. "Joe?"

"Steph, you alright?" Morelli's voice came through the phone. "Where are you?"

About to come in Ranger's bed, that's where. Ranger didn't stop the wicked grin. Steph rolled her eyes at him. She got a reprieve when the alarm beeped in the bathroom. Literally the only thing that could pull his attention away. He got off the bed. Shutting down the emotions that were fighting in his body. It wasn't productive to get invested in the answer. Not yet. No matter the results, there was no guarantee things would work out well for him.

The test he'd bought was expensive and high tech. Digital readout that would tell them not only whether she was pregnant, but how many weeks she might be if she was. He detached his thoughts as he picked up the little white stick and read the display.

 _NOT PREGNANT_

He couldn't ignore the disappointment. Not fast enough to keep it from registering, anyway. It had been stupid to put so much weight on a test. Even one as high tech and accurate as this one. He'd been hoping it would settle things. It hadn't. In fact, if anything it was making him question whether he'd had the grounds to think she was pregnant at all.

He stepped into the doorway and leaned on the frame. Watching her as she talked to her boyfriend on the phone. The guilt was still there. But there was an ease too. She was comfortable with Morelli. In a way she'd never been comfortable with him. Even when they were laying together, their bodies entwined and sated, he could still sense a reticence just below the surface. She'd given her body to him. Freely and completely. But she didn't trust him with her heart. Not the way she trusted Morelli.

He always knew she was smarter than he was.

Her bright, transparent eyes flicked up. Found him standing there watching from the open doorway. And then the panic set in. She'd always been easy to read. More so since he'd made the habit of memorizing her face. This look had _oh god, oh god, oh god_ written all over it. Because she was terrified the test might be positive. Morelli said something in her ear. Pulling half her attention back to him. She hesitated. "Umm. Aren't you working?" Must have been offering to pick her up. It was what Ranger would have done. She shook her head. "No. That's okay. I'm in good hands here." Good hands indeed. Morelli must be thrilled. Though, he suddenly wasn't taking as much pleasure from that as before. "Yes. I will, I promise," Steph said. And then the guilt flared again. "Me too."

Morelli had told her he loved her.

Steph listened for another moment and then disconnected. Dropped her hands into her lap. Fear squirming in her belly. "Well?"

"It says you're not pregnant."

She flopped back onto his bed and blew out a sigh of relief. Like she'd been told she would live another day. It might have been cute if it weren't for the reminder of just how screwed up he was. He crossed to the bed and knelt beside her. Hovering over her where she lay with her eyes closed. "You're still late?"

"Yes."

"Nine days now."

"And?"

"And I've told you these tests are designed to detect a rise in hormone levels. Sometimes that can take as long as five weeks after a missed period."

"Why can't you just let me be not pregnant for like a second?"

Amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes. He was wrong. It was still pretty cute. "Airing on the side of caution is the reason I'm still breathing." She made a pitiful little pout and he couldn't hold in the chuckle. He kissed her bottom lip. "Okay. You can be not pregnant. But the healthy eating and safety measures stay in place and if you get to two week I'm making you a doctor's appointment."

"Deal."

The smile spread all the way across his face. It was a small win, but a win none the less. Steph could be in denial all she wanted. He wasn't giving up until there was hard evidence. Because giving up would mean stepping back. And he wasn't ready to do that. Not until it was clear that was the best thing for her. He gathered her up under his body, pressing his weight over her in a way he knew she'd like. "I've got fifteen minutes before my first meeting. It's not as much time as I want, but it's enough to check you over. Make sure you don't have any other injuries."

"Is that your primary goal?"

He nodded in a sober way. "Your well being is my number one priority."

"And what's your number two priority?"

"Making sure you're relaxed and happy," he said, brushing a light kiss to her lips. "Both of these goals are easier to meet if you're naked."

"Well, I wouldn't want to make things difficult," she answered with a coy smile that made him hard. With consent that willing, Ranger didn't waste any time getting her out of her clothes. Her delicate white skin was red in places. Minor scrapes and early signs of bruising. He turned her over. Kissing each mark with great attention. She squirmed when he got to her ass. That made him grin.

Didn't take long to have her limp and purring on his bed. A condition he'd be happy to provide as often as she wanted. The offer had always been on the table, but Ranger had underestimated just how satisfying it was to have her this fully. This regularly. It wasn't something he'd ever had before.

It was different. Being this invested in a woman.

He kissed her and went to his closet to get dressed for his meeting. Probably should have taken a shower, since he no doubt smelled like burnt Audi and sex, but it was hard to regret the way he'd chosen to spend his time. He picked up a fresh pair of pants. "You have clothes here too," he reminded her, "if you wanted to put on something without soot and blood on it, but if you want to take a shower I'll have to reapply the bandages."

"Is it ever weird for you that I have clothes in your closet?"

He was fitting a new watch to his wrist. The smile trying to surface again. Having her clothes in his closet was nothing new. He'd been careful to keep at least a couple days worth for her for a while now. Ever hopeful that one thing or another would lead her to sleep in his bed. "No. I've always told you that you could come and go as you please. This just makes it easier. Carson is coming in at five. You want to come down for that?"

"I'll think about it."

Still not turned on by the idea. Which was okay. He could handle Carson on his own.

He sat near her on the edge of his bed to pull his boots on. Then he leaned over to kiss her. "I'd ask if you wanted to walk me to the door, but I kind of like the idea of leaving you naked in my bed." He kissed her again. "Ella's already been in today, so you can rest as long as you want. If you don't come down, I'll be up in a while to check on you."

She nodded. Holding tight to his shirt a moment to keep him from pulling away. He smiled. Giving her one last slow kiss before leaving her alone in his apartment. She'd be comfortable there. Make herself at home, like she usually did. Yet another thing that wasn't weird for him.

The first time Steph had found his apartment, it had been little more than a convenience. A comfortable space to layover when starting an empire required his constant attention and there hadn't been any time or point to going home. There had been some work clothes in his closet. The bare essentials in his kitchen. But that was about it. The strange part was that having her there had changed the way he saw the space. It wasn't just a personal hotel room anymore. It was the place she knew where to find him. And given the fact that the place she called 'the Batcave' hadn't been much in the way of a home either, he hadn't thought anything of it when he started spending less and less time there. He was hardly there at all anymore. Not for a long time. These days it was little more than an off the grid safe house. He kept it maintained, just in case. But he didn't live there.

No. He lived where Stephanie could find him.

He tried very hard not to ask himself why.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

The afternoon meetings went well. Save for the fact they were just boring enough to let thoughts of Steph run unhindered in the background. Usually he tried to keep a single mind when he was at work. An easy task, considering work was 95% of his daily life. But knowing she was upstairs waiting for him was a pleasant distraction.

Carson came into his office at five. "Hear you got your ass blown up," he said in way of greeting.

"That was the intent. Obviously, my ass is still in one piece."

"What about your girlfriend?"

"Ms. Plum was unharmed. I asked you here because we've come across some intel that suggests Alvarez was linked to the supply chain used to taint the marijuana trade. What do you know about his business dealings?"

"Enough to know that's bullshit. We kept close tabs on him. He wasn't talking to anyone outside of our line of sight."

"He must have been talking to someone. You never figured out how he was getting the dirt he was trading for freedom. How far up his ass did you climb? Twenty-four hour surveillance? GPS monitoring? Wire tapping? Did you bug his home? His vehicle? His person?"

"You think I could get a warrant for that shit? Not all of us are ex-Delta vigilantes who do what they want. I cross lines and my cases fall apart."

Ranger's eyebrow raised at the word vigilante, but Carson moved on.

"We had him under surveillance. He was a cooperating asset."

"Until he dropped off grid and tried to run for it."

"Yeah. That."

A knocking came from his office door. Ranger recognized the three soft taps in quick, even succession. Steph. Guess she wasn't naked in his bed anymore. Pity. He'd been holding that image in his head to make the afternoon bearable. He called for her to come in. It was cute that she'd even bothered knocking.

When she opened the door, she was wearing one of his t-shirts and a pair of black jeans and nothing else. No shoes. No socks. Not even a bra, he was pleased to see. The peaks of her nipples were showing where the cotton slopped over her breasts. Pointed little reminders of just how beautiful she was naked. Even her hair was wild in that sexy bedroom curls kind of way. Like she'd rolled out of bed satisfied.

Then he remembered that not only did every man in his control room see the same thing, she was about to be subjected to Jack Carson. Jack was an ass. Always had been. It was easy to put up with because he was so good at his job. Unfortunately for Steph, that also meant he didn't miss much. True to form, he turned to take an eyeful when Ranger gestured her in. Seeing everything she hadn't thought to hide. "Great. See you're still working up close and personal with Manoso."

Steph wasn't the blushing type, but Ranger could see it when her comfort level plummeted. She was nervous enough about being in his bed. The last thing he needed was someone making her feel shame over it. "Jack?" Ranger said, calling Carson's attention back to himself. "Shut the fuck up."

"She's wearing your clothes. If that doesn't scream girlfriend—"

"The nature of our association isn't relevant to your case. And if I hear one joke floating around the FBI office or anywhere else, there will be consequences."

"Don't get all Ranger on me, Manoso. I don't give a shit who you fuck. I just care if you've gotten any closer to catching the asshole who murdered Agent Cross."

Ranger knew that was true. Didn't take away the damage Jack might have done. If that fucking pregnancy test had been positive like he'd hoped, he wouldn't have had to worry so much. They'd have defined their association together when they faced the inevitability of sharing a child. Hell. In all likelihood they wouldn't have been talking to Carson at all, given that he would have strong-armed them an immediate appointment with an obstetrician. Instead, here they were. Still no strings and now an outsider's suggestion that all they were doing was fucking.

Christ.

He held Carson's glare when he motioned Steph closer. She didn't move. Unwilling to enter their field of gravity. He was afraid for a second that she'd be getting ready to run from him again. Instead, all he saw was vulnerability. She wasn't regretting him. She was just regretting letting Carson see it. He tried to keep the love he felt for her from softening his cold façade. Then her open, bright blue eyes met his and he lost that battle. Damn. Better move on before Jack could pick up just how much this woman meant to him. It wouldn't help his image. "I assume you found something."

"Not exactly. It's more what I didn't find. I was going over the files and I'm having trouble getting a feel for this guy. And I didn't see anything about Alvarez's connection to Juarez."

"What connection to Juarez?" Carson asked.

"You tell me. There was all kinds of stuff on the dirt he gave up about the cartels, but there wasn't anything about where he was getting the information."

"He had a confidential source we couldn't trace, and not for lack of trying, believe me. That doesn't explain where you're getting Juarez."

She looked at Ranger. Not sure if she should answer. Ranger took the hint. "Thatch said it before he was shot, didn't he?"

"Thatch?" Carson said, all his snark gone. "As in Archibald Thatcher?"

Ranger got a fair bit of satisfaction that he could rub Carson's nose in that. "You didn't hear? Steph had turned him trusted informant before he was shot in her car. Thought that detail would have crossed your desk, considering you've been working on him for years."

"How'd she manage that?"

"People actually like her," Ranger said, cutting his eyes to Carson. Carson swallowed that. Tasted sour. Maybe next time he'd second guess his doubts when it came to Ranger's girlfriend. Shit. He shouldn't be thinking that. He looked to Steph. "Any word from our friend?"

"Not yet. I left a message."

Ranger nodded. "Tell me about the connection in Juarez."

"I don't have much. Thatcher said it was distant. Through family, maybe. All the records say Alvarez was born here, but it didn't say where his family was from."

"Chihuahua, two generations back," Ranger said. "Not surprising he might have family in Juarez. There weren't any indications he had help or a safe haven when I tracked him there. But then, I caught up to him only hours after crossing the Mexican border. Could be they hadn't made a rendezvous yet."

"But the intel he gave up wasn't about the cartel in Juarez," she pointed out.

"No," Carson said. "It was all focused on the Sinaloa and Gulf Cartels. They've been at war with the Zetas for years. We figured he knew someone inside the Gulf cartel. That's where the best intel was. But as far as I know, the Juarez Cartel sided with the Zetas. That would make them enemies with both Gulf and Sinaloa."

"He's been snitching on his families' enemies? Betting that wasn't an accident."

Carson closed his eyes a second. The expression of cold realization darkening his face. "I have to talk to Pritchard. It's starting to sound like Alvarez has been playing both sides against the middle."

What it sounded like was that someone fucked up.

"So, Alvarez is a smart guy?" Steph wanted to know.

Ranger nodded. "Very smart. Reads people well and knows how to cover his tracks."

"So you only caught him because you have superpowers."

Ranger almost smiled.

Carson was pinching the bridge of his nose. "As sweet as this is, I've got shit to do." He stood. "If Thatcher refuses to talk when he wakes up, can I borrow your fuck buddy?"

Ranger turned a death glare on him and Jack Carson snapped his jaw shut. Retreated like the smart man he was. Fuck buddy. Christ. That was the last thing he wanted floating around in Steph's head. She might just believe it.

"Nicely handled," she said from beside him. "I think he might have wet himself with that last one."

His dark mood broke. "You're sassing me again. Could be playing with fire."

"I hate to tell you this, but you're not that scary."

That was bullshit and she knew it. But then, she wasn't intimidated by the things people usually found scary about him. Usually when he stalked toward her, Steph was getting wet instead of going dry. The wicked thought took hold. Ranger stood and caught her, dragging her body between him and the desk. "I thought I was the big bad wolf."

A quiver moved through her that had nothing to do with fear. Her arms moved around his neck. Giving him permission to get even closer. Her eyes dropping to his mouth as she wet her lips. "My. What big teeth you have."

God, she was fun.

The door opened and Nollen poked his head in. Shocked when he saw his boss wrapped so intimately around his woman. He tried to retreat with a whispered "Oh, shit," but the spell was already broken. Ranger looked at him over Steph's shoulder. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to interrupt. It's just that your next appointment is here."

"Tell her I'll be right with her."

Nollen nodded without making eye contact and slipped out of the room. Ranger grinned. Not often you see a former Army Sergeant get flustered. "Nollen. The new hire," he explained to Stephanie. "I think the guys have been playing pranks on him."

"Like sending him into the boss' office when he's with his…"

Lover? Girlfriend? Obsession?

God. It was terrifying that those thoughts came so easily.

Steph's face fell just a little bit when she couldn't come up with a way to describe what they were to each other. Not that he could blame her. He'd worked hard to keep his feelings from showing as much as was in his control. It was too dangerous. And not just for her. If he gave into his attachment to her as fully as he wanted to, he'd lose sight of things he shouldn't. But seeing her struggle to define her role in his life softened the little corner of his blackened, dead heart. He brushed a kiss to her lips. "Yes. Like sending him in the boss' office when I'm alone with you. Or telling him that I'm such a jealous man that I'd kick his ass just for noticing that you're sexy."

That brought her back. Steph wasn't really one for female vanity, but she liked that he found her so attractive. Her posture relaxed again, her arms still around his neck. A teasing smile sparking that intoxication light in her bright eyes. "So you're not a jealous man?"

"I never said that. But I can't fault someone for having eyes," he said, catching her lips in a slow, searching kiss. Her bones turned pliant and she melted into him. Whimpering in a way that made him want to forget he had responsibilities. He pulled back, gratified by her state of utter stupor. "I have one more meeting. Should take about an hour. If you're naked when I get home, I'll make it worth your while."

So very worth her while.

She swallowed. A little afraid and a lot excited at the prospect.

Her phone chirped in her back pocket. Their eyes held. Mini. Ranger stuck his hand in her pants and grabbed a little ass as he retrieved the phone. Held it up over her shoulder to see who was calling. Ah. False alarm. "It's your granny."

"Oh. I'd better take that. They probably heard about my car."

She really was adorable. Ranger lifted the phone up between them. Teasing her. Her body rubbed against his when she reached up and snatched it from him, turning him on even more. With her completely clueless to just how much she affected him. She pressed the phone to her ear and started to leave without saying goodbye.

He should have let her go, but instead her caught her and dragged her back against his chest so he could kiss her neck from behind. Stroking her braless breast and belly through his gathered up cotton shirt. He wanted to have her here and now. On his desk, or in his chair. The anticipation was part of the fun, though. Made even more potent by the memory of the way she'd combusted under him only an hour ago. And given the way she nearly burst into flames, she was anticipating now too. The thought made him smile. "Later," he whispered in her ear. Velvet soft. She nodded in agreement. She was eagerly awaiting later.

Ranger grinned. Kissed her neck one more time, hot and slow, before he released her and let her walk toward the door. Enjoying the sensations a moment before he reined them in. It wouldn't do to start his next client meeting with a raging hardon. Especially since the client was the widow of a general he'd served under when he was with the Rangers.

He mastered himself and reset his Zen calm. Hit the intercom to send her in.

Enid Clayton was a preferred client, which meant Ranger tried to give her his personal attention whenever possible. She'd recently planned renovations to the grand home she'd lived in with the General. Needed to update the personalized security system Rangeman had designed to reflect the new additions. He was spreading the blueprints across his desk when she came into his office. Demure and stately as always in a classic salmon colored suit.

He offered her a hand and a charming greeting, and then moved straight to business. He hadn't gotten very far, though, when the door opened again. Letting Steph back into his office. His brow raised in surprise before he could stop it. "Babe."

She was still on the phone. Looking a little crazy.

Her eyes widened in a meaningful way.

Ranger didn't need any more than that. He pulled up the trace on his computer and started running her cell. Grateful for the foresight that made him add her number to the Rangeman system.

It was something he should have done a long time ago. He'd resisted. Hadn't wanted to invade her privacy any more than he already was. He tracked her every move via GPS. Kept armed security on her day and night when there was even the slightest chance she was in danger. Had cameras watching the front and back entrances of her building and the bonds office where she worked so he could have them monitored in he felt it necessary.

Keeping a running log of her incoming calls seemed like overkill.

Until the night she had an unsecured meeting with Baller Thatch and almost lost her life.

She was talking to Mini in calm, even tones. Like she'd had training in mediation or hostage negotiation. Always full of surprises. Just one more minute and they'd know Mini's location to within ten feet.

The connection vanished.

Damn. "The signal dropped too soon," he told her. "Didn't have time to pinpoint her exact location. She's using a burner, but I was able to triangulate her signal to a five block radius."

She didn't answer him. Didn't move at all. He looked up at her and found her eyes full of fear. "Babe?"

"He's going to kill you," she breathed.

"No he's not."

"Yes he is! He's stirring up the gangs to get an army. To use against _you_."

"Does he have a name?"

"I don't know. She didn't say."

He sent the map to the control room with a list of men he wanted for backup. It was a long shot, given the size of the search area, but he wanted to get the lay of the land. Get a feel for what they were dealing with. He turned to Enid Clayton. "Forgive me, but this matter needs my attention. I'll send Tank in to finish going over the changes to the security system with you if you'd rather not reschedule."

"No, of course. I understand," she said.

He acknowledged and started for the door. Steph was stone still. Three shades paler than usual. She wasn't taking this turn of events very well. Ranger closed his firm, reassuring grasp around her upper arms. "Deep breaths, Babe. We've handled this sort of thing before."

"I haven't!"

He fought to hold in a smile, but part of it got out anyway. He always liked it when she worried about him. It showed she cared. "Babe, cartels are notorious for being well organized, but our mastermind is sourcing street gangs. The idea that they'll be erratic and undisciplined is an understatement. And the bigger players have no need to play ball. I can't see Delgado or Romero bending the knee to some upstart who thought he could go to war against me and win. Especially if Skeezer's on his team. They hate Skeezer more than they want to see me out of the way."

"Who does want you gone that much?"

"Hard to say."

"Are you telling me you don't have a short list of people who want you dead this bad?"

"There are a lot of candidates."

"How can you be so calm about this? He has an army!"

God, he was in such trouble. An entire army of street thugs he could handle, but the frantic cries of Stephanie Plum had a way of cutting through to his very heart. He pulled her closer, lifting her chin until he could hold those bright, transparent blue eyes. "So do I."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Ranger kissed her cheek and left her in the office. Strode into the control room to put things in motion. Tank was already on deck. Not happy that he wasn't on the list for backup. He didn't say it when Ranger came near, but it was only a matter of time. Ranger went there first. "I need you to finish going over the changes with Mrs. Clayton. I shouldn't be gone more than an hour."

"You sure you don't want me on your six?"

"Positive. Seems we were right about this being a grab for power, but we were wrong about the endgame. Mini Velasquez has suggested one of the primary goals of this upset is to gather the numbers needed to go against Rangeman. Me specifically."

"All the more reason I should have your back."

"I want you watching my back from here, where you have more eyes. Have better control over what goes on. And break down the men into pairs. No one goes anywhere without a battle buddy."

"And you?"

Ranger's office door opened, letting Stephanie out onto the floor. His eyes weren't the only ones drawn to her. Tank's were too. A shine of gentle affection softening his otherwise stone demeanor. Tank was a cold SOB in the field. Levelheaded and calm even in a firefight. But he had a soft spot for Steph. Pretty much from the beginning. Not just because she was cute, because he saw her value and her potential. Just like Ranger did. Ranger held in a smile and turned back to his friend. "I'm partnering with Steph. Keep a team on our six at all times. And when she's without me I want two teams on her. She's as much a target as I am."

Tank nodded without argument. Ranger scanned the gathered men and then waved Stephanie over. Her breasts bounced when she walked and he had to hold in a smile`. Pity she couldn't stay like that. "Go back to seven and get dressed. Properly. We're breaking into teams to scour the five block radius. I'd like you with me. If anyone has a chance to bring Mini in without a traumatic snatch and grab, it's you."

"By properly, do you mean a gun? Because I didn't bring one."

It was hard to hold in the frustrated sigh. Of course she didn't. Because Steph hated going anywhere with her gun, even when she should. "I have a belt for you in the Cayenne. You have five minutes."

She disappeared into the elevator and Ranger turned to his men. They followed him down the stairs. He was still going over the search patterns and assignments when Steph came into the garage via the elevator, this time in a Rangeman uniform. And a bra, he was disappointed to see. He'd just have to wait until later to get it off her again.

The teams set up a grid search in the five block radius of north Trenton. The area was an even mix of business and residential. Modest row houses and blocks of delis and electronics stores and corner groceries. A few apartment buildings. Some big, some small. Chances were good she was staying under an alias. Maybe subletting for cash from an aquatinted or unwitting stranger. She had the liquid assets, if the street value of the merchandise she moved was any indicator. Might have even gotten an advance when she talked to Thatch before she vanished. That would likely mean she was in an apartment, not a house. Not just because of the availability, but because it would let her keep a lower profile. More people coming and going. Provided anonymity. Which meant he had two choices. Bring in big numbers and canvass the apartment buildings all at once, or play the quiet game and do low key surveillance. Given what a wily flight risk Mini was, quiet was likely best. After an hour, he contacted the other teams.

"Set up a low profile at the checkpoints and log any activity. I want to know who comes and goes. Watch out for Skeezer's people and any of the other players who might have sided with our new friend." They acknowledged and he disconnected. Turned around and started for Rangeman.

Steph blew out a frustrated sigh. She'd started out excited, but it hadn't taken long for her to lose faith in the process. Wasn't used to playing the long game. "You should probably drop me at my parent's house before you head back to Rangeman," she said. "I'll need to borrow Big Blue until I can replace the Audi."

"You can have one of the fleet vehicles, but you're not going to need it until this thing is over."

"Oh no. I know what you're thinking and you can just forget it."

"Babe, you said yourself someone is trying to go to war against me. I'm not leaving you unprotected. Not only would it be irresponsible, it would be downright stupid."

"You said I could be not pregnant."

"This has nothing to do with whether or not you're pregnant. This has to do with you being the weak link in my armor."

"Now I'm a weak link?"

Ranger turned to look at her. Measuring his patience. "Steph, you should realize by now that I don't have a lot of vulnerabilities. And you should also realize that my biggest one revolves around you. This wouldn't be the first time someone used you to get to me. Stolle tried it. Scrogg. It's not something I'm interesting in risking."

"I'm not letting you lock me up."

"I'm not trying to lock you up. I'm just being cautious."

"But you're going to take me home, right?"

"I'd prefer if you stayed with me."

"But it's still my choice."

He drew in a deep breath and let it out all at once in a silent sigh. "Yes."

"Then take me home."

It took a fair amount of control not to grunt in frustration. Steph was fiercely independent. Hardheaded in fact. Didn't like to be handled or told what to do. It was something he'd always loved about her, despite the problems it caused him. Arousing as it was frustrating. But that didn't make it any easier to turn toward her apartment for the second night in a row knowing there was a chance trouble was waiting there for them.

He gave the lot a thorough scan when they arrived. No questionable vehicles. No loitering shadows waiting in the dusklight. No Morelli. That was encouraging. If Morelli showed up after he was already ensconced in Steph's apartment, he would have the high ground. Harder for Morelli to oust him without causing the same fight Ranger had back off from yesterday. Of course, Morelli wasn't quite as in control of himself as Ranger was. And the chances that he wouldn't show up were almost non-existent.

If this turned into a fist fight over Stephanie again, there was no telling how she'd take it.

He let Steph root around for her keys when they reached her door. A small gesture. They both knew he could have opened it faster on his worst day, but he wanted Steph to know he understood she was her own person. Capable of taking care of herself. Making her own decisions. And once they were safe and comfortable, he'd remind her that he was one of those decisions.

She got the door open and he followed her inside. Bolted it behind them. Took the temperature of the room to be sure it hadn't been disturbed. The apartment was silent. Cool. Relaxed and empty. He did a quick sweep. Nothing was disturbed. Which was odd, because his instincts were whispering to him again. Something was off. And it wasn't just Morelli.

He examined Stephanie. She'd just figured out that he was planning to stay, and she was torn. Couldn't decide if she was more excited or terrified by the prospect. He hoped she wasn't pulling away again. "This really would be better at my apartment."

She just flopped onto the couch. "I don't have the energy to argue with you over this. I haven't exactly been getting a lot of sleep lately, and I spent the day chasing a naked frog and getting blown up. And all without the benefits of caffeine because somebody got it in his head I needed to switch to decaf."

He couldn't stop the silent chuckle. She wasn't pulling away. She was just worn out. Well, there was an easy, tried and true method to appease her. "Are you hungry? We could order in if you don't want the sandwiches Ella brought."

"Sandwiches sounds fine." And immediate, no doubt. Food wasn't as high on Ranger's priority list as it was on Steph's. Unless she'd grabbed something in his apartment after their encounter earlier, she'd be a couple hours overdue. He went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Ella would have left a good selection of sandwiches and salads. All prewrapped and ready to eat.

Instead he found a severed head.

It was just sitting there on the shelf between the milk and the olives. Eyes closed, mouth open. Like Ranger was disturbing his sleep. At least a day old. Probably two, given the color. And despite the decomp and the gaminess, he was pretty sure it was Damian Marquez. Which meant that someone had broken into Steph's apartment in broad daylight and put Skeezer's head in her fridge.

"I don't suppose there are any in there with bacon on them," her voice came from the other room. Blissfully unaware. Good thing it had been him instead of Steph. Steph would have ralphed all over the kitchen floor.

He shut the door to the fridge. Walked into the living room with gentle authority. "Pack up some clothes. We're going to Rangeman."

"Ugh. I told you, I don't want to—"

"Stephanie. Now."

She stiffened. Didn't like being told what to do. Considering she'd like it even less if he told her she was in an apartment with a severed head, he was okay taking the pissy attitude. Steph grunted and dragged herself to her feet. Taking her own sweet ass time about it, too. Ranger followed her into her bedroom and started tossing her clothes into the laundry basket for her.

"Hey! What's your problem?"

He didn't answer. The current priority was getting her away from her compromised apartment and safe into his. Explaining now would hinder that goal. He gathered things from her underwear drawer. Then her closet.

"If you don't tell me what the hell is going on, I'm not going anywhere with you."

"You're going with me even if I have to throw you over my shoulder like a caveman and drag your ass out. Is there anything else you want to take?"

"No."

"Good." He grabbed onto her hand and tugged her toward the front door. Pausing just long enough to get the Smith and Wesson out of the brown bear cookie jar she kept on her counter. He picked up her messenger bag and Rex's glass cage and put them in the hamper.

He felt it when her energy changed. It wasn't until he'd collected her beloved pet that she realized how serious this was. She didn't give into it fully. Denial. But she stopped resisting and let him pull her out the door and down the stairs. He packed her into the Cayenne. Set her laundry basket into the backseat while he sent a couple quick texts. Then he slid behind the wheel and drove Steph back to Rangeman.

She was uncharacteristically quiet on the drive there. Sucked deep in her own thoughts. Throwing off a thin vibe of anger that barely masked her anxiety. The anxiety got more pronounced when they stepped into the elevator. Ranger carrying her basket of clothes like she was fleeing her homeland. He led the way into his apartment and set Rex in his place on the counter. And then he took the basket into his bedroom and set it on the corner of his bed.

"Tell me what happened," Steph said to his back.

If he answered now, she'd melt down. He wouldn't want to leave her if she did, and there were things he had to set in motion. It would keep. "I have to talk to Tank. Stay here. You can put the clothes anywhere you want, or you can let Ella do it later, it's your choice. If you find we missed something you need, just make a list and I'll either send someone to get it or have Ella pick up a new one."

She was getting worked up. Building angry steam because she was trying to cover her fear. She was so much braver than she gave herself credit for. Spoiling for a fight so that she wouldn't have to feel weak. He came into her space and she didn't shrink back. Didn't flinch or quail when he caught her with a gentle hand at the back of her neck and lowered his mouth to hers. Instead she melted. Her fingers curling into his shirt to hold him there. Like the only thing about him she feared was that he'd pull away and try to leave.

He broke the kiss, his lips still touching hers. "Just give me a few minutes. Alright?"

She nodded dumbly. The mad effectively paved over with desire. Good. That was a condition he could leave her in. At least long enough to do what needed to be done. He brushed one more loving kiss to her lips and left her in the apartment. Stepped into the elevator and hit five.

Tank was in his office.

"Define _apartment compromised_ ," he said when Ranger came in.

"Someone left a head in her refrigerator. But on the plus side, I found Skeezer."

"Shit."

No kidding.

"They were able to trace the pickup that tried to take you out," Tank said. "It wasn't Skeezer's. The truck was abandoned a half mile from the bonds office, but it was picked up on a side street near Kings territory."

"Delgado's throwing in." Tank nodded. "Guess that's not as surprising now that we know Skeezer's dead. That changes the game. Question is, why didn't our houseguest know his boss had been taken out?"

"I've been following up on contacts for days. No one knew. I'm still digging to find out what happened."

Ranger nodded and opened his desk line on speaker to call Morelli. The cop didn't sound thrilled to see Rangeman in his caller ID. "What?"

"We have a problem."

"We always have a problem. It comes from you trying to steal my girlfriend."

"We have a bigger problem. I was just at Steph's apartment. Seems someone broke in and left her a present."

"What kind of present?"

"Skeezer's severed head. Given the condition, I'm fairly certain he was the fifth body on Stark."

"Fuck."

"I agree. I haven't called it into TPD yet. Figured you'd want to run point."

"Christ. Tell me she's not still there."

"She's not. And she didn't get a chance to see it either."

"Thank God for small favors. I gotta call it in and get CSI down there, but then you and me are gonna have a serious discussion. Last I heard, there was talk all up and down Stark Street that big bad Ranger was making death threats."

"I don't make death threats."

"Of course you don't," Morelli muttered under his breath. "Do I need to ask how deep your involvement goes here?"

"Only as far as the investigation. I sent Tank down there to make noise, nothing more. Figured if I applied a little leverage, Skeezer might tell me who's pulling the strings."

"Yeah, sounds like that ship has sailed. Only one he's talking to now is the medical examiner." He let out a frustrated sigh. Probably rubbing a hand over his face. "Alright, I'll call it in now. I might have some more questions once I get eyes on this fucking nightmare."

"I'll have to loop in my federal contacts. This is relevant to their investigations."

"As long as they don't interfere. I don't need this to turn into a fight over jurisdiction."

"I'll give you a head start." Morelli sounded like he might have let out a dry laugh. They disconnected and Ranger turned to Tank. "Give Morelli a decent lead and then contact Carson and Pritchard. And have Ram go over the video from Steph's building. Someone entered her apartment in the last twelve hours, likely with a duffle bag or a tote with some weight to it. See if you can run down who had the balls to try a scare tactic like that on a one of my known associates."

"You want to stay in the loop on this? Or are you going off line?"

"If Morelli calls you can put him through, but everything else is yours until tomorrow."

Tank acknowledged that. Ranger left his office and found Nollen crossing the control room with the box of pizza he'd had ordered from Shorty's. Good. If this didn't sooth Steph, he was going to send out for birthday cake next. He accepted the box and stepped into the elevator.

Steph was still standing in his bedroom when he got back upstairs. Wringing her hands in an unconscious attempt at self soothing. He didn't say anything. Just brought the pizza into his den and set the box on his coffee table. Flipped the lid open so that the scent would fill the room. Lure her in. He took a slice and got comfortable, waiting patiently for her to make the decision on her own.

She didn't come in right away. Still trying to be mad at him for being so cryptic. Maybe thought that getting bought off with pizza would undermine her control over the situation. Then her stomach growled. Ranger dropped his eyes to her belly. A smirk trying very hard to surface.

Hard not to wonder.

"I had one of my men pick it up," he told her. "Figured a little comfort food would do you good."

"And what is it I need comfort for?"

Cutting to the heart of the matter. A very Steph thing to do. Ranger set down his slice and gave the seat next to him a furtive eye flick, gesturing for her to join him on the couch. She tried to stick it out and resist, but after a minute she gave in. Never very good at self control.

Ranger was waiting for her to relax. Didn't want to ruin her meal before he had to. That was when his phone rang. Not hard to guess who was calling, given that Tank was redirecting everything else. Didn't make it any more pleasant when he pulled the phone from his pocket and saw Morelli's number in the display. He opened the line. "Did you find the present?"

"Unfortunately. I don't suppose you know anything about this."

"Just that it was already there when I brought her home."

"Where is she now?"

"Rangeman."

Morelli was silent for a minute. No doubt reigning in his jealous fury. The uneven exhale was a dead giveaway. Morelli drew in a steadying breath. That was good. Professional Morelli was a man Ranger could deal with. Asshole boyfriend was not. "What exactly did you see?" Morelli was finally able to say.

"No obvious signs of forced entry. I didn't see any indication they came in through her bedroom window either."

"You were in her bedroom?"

Ranger gave Morelli another second to digest that before he moved on. "Aside from some of her personal items I gathered for her, we didn't disturb much. With any luck, there may still be some useable physical evidence."

"You're being awfully delicate about the fact there was a head in Stephanie's fridge."

"She's sitting right here and I haven't had an opportunity to tell her about it yet. I didn't think discussing details was an appropriate way to break it to her."

"Well, after you do you can bring her by my place. I'll look after her until her apartment has been released as a crime scene."

"No. Stephanie's staying at Rangeman until the dust settles on this."

"Hell no. You can't just—"

"With all due respect, Detective, this isn't a decision you get to make. She's a target."

"Yeah, whose fault is that?"

"I won't deny that it's my fault. But the fact is Stephanie is staying in my secure building, escorted by my armed men until I say otherwise. If you have a problem with that you can take it up with me after the blood's been cleared from the streets."

Morelli didn't have a comeback for that. Even if Steph were to stay with him, she would have nothing but his useless, dopey golden retriever mutt to love any assailants during the 18+ hours Morelli was working these days. Seemed he'd just realized that too. "You'd better keep your fucking hands to yourself, Manoso, or you'll need more than stitches."

Ranger didn't dignify that with a response. He just hung up.

Steph was watching him. Straddling the fence between fury and fear. "What the hell is going on?"

There was no use putting it off any longer. "Turns out Skeezer wasn't behind the shooting or the IED. The black Toyota belonged to one of Delgado's men."

"But you said Delgado would never play on the same team as Skeezer."

"He's not. New evidence would suggest Skeezer hasn't been giving any orders for a couple days now. Even the men who went after Baller Thatch did so on someone else's orders. They just didn't know it yet."

"Someone took over his gang?"

Ranger nodded. "They were finally able to identify the fifth body that dropped on Stark Street."

"The one with no head?" she asked, not really wanting to know. She was putting it together like the smart woman she was. Didn't like the inevitable outcome. He nodded the confirmation and she swallowed. "And this _evidence_. It was in my apartment?"

"Looked like it was a couple days old, which would match up with our timeline. Someone brought it in while you were out today."

"Where did you find it?"

She was getting pale. Working her way toward green. Might have been a good thing he hadn't been able to feed her before the news broke. He covered her hand with his and felt how cold it was. Fight or flight was kicking in, stealing heat from her extremities. He gave her a squeeze. "I'll buy you a new fridge, Babe."

The pieces finally slid into place and she looked like she wished they hadn't. She also looked like she was going to be very very sick.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Steph's brain had chosen to disconnect from her body rather than accept the reality. She'd gone from green to white, in fact. Ranger scooped her up and drew her across his lap. Settling her body on top of his. She felt small in his arms. A strong, brave woman reduced to a delicate flower. At least for the moment. "It'll be okay, Babe," he said, but she just shook her head in the crook of his neck.

"There's a head in my fridge. It'll never be okay again. I'll have to stay with you forever."

He hadn't intended to laugh, but it broke through anyway. Rocking her body against his chest. If only she knew how much he wanted that, she'd be shocked.

"It's not funny," she protested.

"It's a little funny. And forever is a long time, Babe."

"Are you saying I can't stay with you?"

"I'm saying that's not a decision that should be made just because there was a head in your fridge." He felt her make a face in his neck and laughed again. "One problem at a time," he said, kissing her temple.

God, he was damned no matter what he did. If he brought her into his life now, she'd be miserable. Never satisfied with what little of his soul he could share with her. Tied in knots when the deep physical intimacy wasn't backed by emotions. She'd known for years that he had to hold back. Couldn't let her in. She just didn't know why. And he couldn't tell her. Not a girl who turned white at the idea of a severed head in her refrigerator. She didn't want to know the monster he'd once been. And if he ever managed to step away and let her be, he'd be damned then too. Not just by God for the things he'd done, but by himself for letting go of the only thing that had ever made him happy.

He stroked her back. His hands leading in strong lines down her body. It felt good, holding her like that. Folded together so intimately in the safety of his apartment. He was so aware of her every movement. Her every breath. The way she was seated on his lap, wrapped around him like he was an anchor that kept her from floating out into space. He heard the moment her breathing changed. Aroused when she realized it too. Until then she'd been a fragile girl, traumatized by the path he'd helped to set her on. Like she'd forgotten that she was a desirable woman straddling the lap of a man who loved her.

He brushed a kiss to her jaw. Her chin. Nudging her lips with his until she lifted enough to let him kiss her. It didn't take her long to open up to him. His fingers slid along her neck, threading into her hair as he deepened the kiss. She squirmed on his lap trying to get closer. Her warm center rubbing against his until he was painfully hard. Then she flicked her tongue across his lip and he was done for.

He had her on her back before he could even think. His wicked hands ripping off her clothes. Then his. She reached for him when he settled naked on top of her. Cradling his body like it was where he was meant to be. Over her. Around her. In her. They moved together in perfect unison. And when her excitement peaked, she dragged him over with her. The breathless cries in his ear the most erotic sound in the world.

They stayed there a second, trying to catch their breath. Ranger fully aware that he'd just taken her on his sofa like a randy teenager in his parent's basement. Not that she seemed to care. She was radiant. So beautiful in her after loving glow that he wanted her all over again. He would take his time, though. Do all the things to her that he'd been daydreaming about. He wanted to taste every part of her. Caress every soft inch. Possess her body and soul until he'd crawled as deeply inside of her as she had him. And he had all night to do it. Thank god.

He gathered her up and carried her to his bed. Laid her out over his crisp sheets. And when he took her again, there were no walls between them at all to keep her heart from his.

It felt like hours before they finally rested. Both spent and satisfied. Still woven together in sweat and linen like they were one. She was lying on top of him. The length of her like silk under his fingertips. Savoring. There were so few moments in his life that were pure bliss. Untainted. And almost all of them involved her. It would be so incredibly selfish of him to keep her just so that he wouldn't lose this. Truly terrible and self serving. And yet, for the moment at least, he was having a really hard time caring. He kissed her temple, relaxing into the pleasure despite himself. "I'm starting to think this whole gang war thing might be worth the trouble."

"Why, because you're getting laid?"

A laugh broke through. As if the release he found in her was just physical. She really was pure sunshine. He kissed her head again. "Hard to take anything for granted if it gets you into my bed."

"Always the opportunist."

"I did warn you." He rolled her onto her back and covered her with his body. Focusing on the spot between her neck and shoulder that always made her quiver. He licked her and was rewarded with a moan. And then he grazed her with his teeth and she drew in a sharp, excited breath. Throwing off enough pheromones to make a man forget things he shouldn't. "In fact, I have some very specific plans for you while I've got your full attention."

"Part of your campaign to ruin me for all other men?"

He grinned. "If I haven't managed that yet, than I must not have been trying hard enough."

And try he did. Several times. Maybe if he actually managed to ruin her for all other men, she wouldn't be able to move on before he was worthy of her. If he was ever worthy of her.

She was so worn out by morning that it took his phone ringing on his bedside table to drag her half awake. Which brought his body into immediate attention. He didn't relax his hold around her when he reached for the phone. Just pressed it to his ear and listened to Tank while he nipped and pet his woman. "More deaths last night," Tank said. "Comstock. Slayer territory, or what was left of it. We're still piecing it together, but from what I could tell it was Steph's deadhead all over again. But this time about a half dozen of 'em. I haven't laid eyes on the scene yet, but Vince said it was a bloodbath. There were a couple survivors. They swore the bodies were laying in wait. Rose like the dead. We're following up, but I think the tox screen will confirm it's the same substance from Pritchard's report. And we confirmed Delgado's involvement. Talked to our inside man. Seems taking out Skeezer was a good move. Played well with Cruz, too. Word is they've called a truce. Romero's people are staying out of it though."

Stephanie was wet and eager, enjoying the way his skin was touching hers, his mouth inching across her collar bone and down her chest. "Have we had any contact with him?" Ranger asked, reaching her breast. He licked her nipple before he took it in his mouth. Her breathing turning erratic. Tank paused. No doubt fully aware of what he was hearing. It would have been a calculated risk on his part when he called, knowing that Ranger had Steph in his bed. He also knew his friend wouldn't make an issue of it. Ranger had made the allowance for him enough times. Though admittedly, Ranger didn't have to hear it over the phone at the time.

Tank refocused himself and moved on. "I talked to Moreno myself. Romero is staying back. Made it clear he didn't have a beef with you. At least one of them has more than two brain cells to rub together. I also followed up with our contact at the hospital. She said Archibald Thatcher was just moved out of ICU. He's not singing Sunshine yet, but he's out of the woods. Asked about Steph when he woke up. Relieved she wasn't hurt. He's resting again. I've got Allen and Ramon on him in case anyone tries to visit, like Steph's FTA. And Carson and Pritchard are on their way in now. Requested a meeting."

Steph bit back a whimper, moving against him as he teased her favorite place. He grinned. "I figured. Tell them I'll be down in fifteen." Then he thought again. Looking over a very naked Stephanie. He wanted her for at least that. "Make that thirty." Tank acknowledged and Ranger disconnected. Tossed the phone onto the bed so he could gather her up even tighter.

"I thought you hated being late for work," she panted. Not meaning it in the slightest.

He smiled. "There are some acceptable excuses for being late," he said, stroking her more deliberately. She let out the moan she'd been holding back and his blood turned hot. "Besides. I'm the boss. That comes with some benefits, like delaying an impromptu meeting with Carson and Pritchard so that I can take advantage of the woman in my bed."

"Is that something you do often?"

"Only when I'm very, _very_ lucky." He kissed her lips and rolled her under him. Excited by the eager way she wrapped around him. She was slack on his bed when he was done. Flushed and satisfied. He admired his work for a moment. Hoping he'd proved yet again why she was ruined for all other men. He grinned. "You interested in some food before we discuss the rest of Tank's report? I could have Ella bring something up. Or we could go the quick route and grab some of the leftover pizza."

"I'm good with pizza."

Good. Fast and simple. He loved that Steph was so low maintenance. He got the leftovers out of the fridge and brought it in cold. Set the box beside her knee. Then he scooped her up and leaned her back against his chest. Cradling her in easy comfort. He kissed her shoulder and took a slice.

"Seems our new friend was busy last night. There was an outbreak of violence on Comstock. Centered around what was left of the Slayers. First guesses suggest it involved the designer drug Pritchard mentioned."

"The drug that made Avery Jessup bite Lula?"

"That would be the one. The most insidious thing about it is the static time. People who get high on this drug are basically emptied out. Devoid of thought until something catches their attention. Then all hell breaks loose. Hal said Jessup was tough to handle. Imagine five or six Jessups laying in wait for an unsuspecting gang to come along."

"Jeez. Maybe Lula was right about the whole walking dead thing."

"That's not a bad analogy. With the Slayers taken out and Skeezer's crew running under new management, the balance of power is definitely shifting in the new player's favor. Not only is Delgado backing him, but now I'm hearing reports that Cruz's people have been seen too. It would be a tenuous alliance, given that the three sides hate each other, but for the moment it seems they've put that aside against a common goal."

"Getting rid of you?"

"Many have tried. None have succeeded. The only major kingpin that's stayed out of it so far is Romero. He's not exactly a fan, but he knows how to read the wind. Knows that if he stands against me now, it won't be pretty when I come out the other side. Tank said one of our mutual contacts has been in touch. Romero's staying back out of respect. He always was the smartest of the four."

"How can you be so confident?"

He smiled and kissed her ear. "Given half a chance, Delgado and Cruz will turn on each other and this thing will be back to a turf war. I have no doubt that's the reason they're involved. Some promise of power. Delgado's been eyeing Colichio territory for years. In fact, it was his people The Rug went away for. Delgado got cocky and seven of his men got popped for his trouble."

"So what do we do now?"

"Recon. The more intel we have, the more we can anticipate their movements."

"Then we still need to find Mini. She knows a lot more than she's saying. Any sign of her yet?"

"No. But Tank said Thatch was moved out of intensive care this morning. I've got some people watching his room. As much to see if she'll try to visit as to keep any bad guys from finishing the job. I get the impression Mini's too smart to do something so obvious, though."

"I think you're right. She might try to call him, but I don't see her walking into the hospital. Is he awake?"

"He has his moments. But if you're thinking about visiting, that might not be the best idea at the moment. At least not until I can guarantee the building is secure."

"You love me."

That brought out another smile. "Yes."

"But is it still the kind of love that only comes with a condom? Because it's hard to tell sometimes. This doesn't always feel like it's just sex."

Ranger drew in a pensive breath, weighting his answer. There were a lot of ways this conversation could go wrong. If he was smart he'd change the subject. But he could hear the self doubt in her voice. If he didn't say it, she'd assume that was all he wanted from her. And he couldn't let her think that, no matter how complicated it made things. He sighed and lifted her hand to his lips. "It's not just sex, Babe," he admitted.

"Then what is it?"

"You need a label?"

"A label might help."

"What kind of label would you be looking for?" They were on dangerous ground. If she asked for _girlfriend_ , he might just give it to her. Against his better judgment. Putting labels and expectations on what they were to each other wouldn't be good for either of them. Not yet.

"I don't know. I'm just a little confused. You've been acting awfully boyfriendy for someone who doesn't do relationships."

"Babe, there's more to a relationship than love and affection. I don't do relationships because I can't afford it. The price is too high."

"What price?"

Emotional depth. Openness. Stability. "All of it. I told you there were parts of my life I'm not proud of. Things you wouldn't want to know, even if I could tell you. Trust me. This is all I'm capable of."

"Still not the marrying type?"

"I try never to make promises I can't keep." Ranger kissed her ear and angled out from behind her. Getting any deeper into this conversation was asking for trouble. "I've got about five minutes to grab a quick shower. This meeting will mostly cover evidence and leads you already know about, but if you do come down you might want to wear something more than just my T-shirt. Not that I didn't enjoy seeing your nipples showing through my clothes yesterday. It's just that not a lot gets past Carson. Might sully your reputation even further if he saw that for a second day in a row."

"What's his issue, anyway? Was he not hugged enough as a child?"

Ranger shrugged. "The dickishness might be congenital. Never paid it much attention before because he's such a good agent. I can handle an ass as long as they do their job."

"You let him have it yesterday," she pointed out.

"I said I can handle him being an ass. Doesn't mean he gets to be disrespectful." He leaned over and kissed her before he went in the bathroom to take a shower. Leaving her alone in his big bed.

That had been close. And so very dangerous. There was a reason he avoided talking relationships with Stephanie. She made him want things he couldn't have. Shouldn't even want. He didn't live that kind of life. The kind that allowed for deep, meaningful connections with other human beings. It was hard enough justifying his actions to himself. He couldn't afford to worry what someone else might think of his choices. And if he let Steph in, that's exactly what he would do.

Might have already done.

Shit. The thought had whispered through him before he knew it was there. Like a slap of truth right to the back of his head. He already cared what she thought of his actions. It was why he was trying be better. And it was what kept him from staying in her bed. Taking her for his own. It wasn't because of Morelli, or because of the ridged moral views of polite society. It was because he knew her well enough to understand just how out of her comfort zone he was.

Even if he gave in, there was only so much he'd be able to give her. Love and affection, sure. Trust. Faith. Fierce loyalty. But that made him little more than a guard dog. A growling Rottweiler that stood between her and the bad things in this world. He would never be the kind of man to go home to her parents every week for family dinners. Or the type to take her on dates that didn't involve breaking and entering or intimidation. With him, the white picket fence would be topped with razor wire. PTA meeting replaced by talks with arms dealers and pimps. It wasn't a life he wanted her to have.

Pregnant or not.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Carson and Pritchard were in Ranger's office when he got there. Carson a little on edge from being kept waiting. Ranger didn't feel guilty in the slightest. Both the FBI and DEA were paying him a hell of a lot to be a subcontractor on this. Didn't mean they had any power over him. In fact, they were lucky he was in such a good mood. Carson might not have liked the response his attitude would get if Ranger hadn't just spent the last ten hours buried deep inside his girlfriend.

He tucked that thought away, holding back the smirk. "What did you find?" he asked Carson, taking a leisurely seat in his high backed leather chair.

"Nothing in the official records about Juarez, but your girl was right about one thing. There's a lot of chatter filtering up from Mexico about an insider working with the feds."

"They have a name yet?"

"Not as far as we can tell. It's just been general whispers."

"So we don't have any specifics on who might be targeting Alvarez."

"Not on our end," Carson said, looking at Pritchard.

Prichard shrugged. "After Agent Carson told me about Ms. Plum's theory I contacted some of our other offices. Trenton's been unusually quiet, but apparently the chatter has gotten pretty loud further south. A lot of them seem to think the leak is homegrown, but there are a few who are talking plant. Like Sinaloa has been using a mole to get information from their enemies so they can spoon feed it to the authorities. Usually the Mexican military."

Ranger nodded. "It's easy to get military action in a country where officials can be bought or blackmailed. But now they've got FBI and DEA doing their dirty work. That takes finesse."

"The intel was good," Pritchard said. "Led to a lot of arrests, all the way up the chain. Enough to break up the Gulf Cartel. They're maybe a quarter what they were ten years ago, and Alvarez played a significant role in that."

"But there are no indications they know who he is?" Pritchard shook his head. Unfortunate, but not surprising. It would have been too easy to have a short list of enemies. Ranger pulled up the genealogy report. "I've had my best people dig up every branch in Alvarez's family tree so I could cross reference with known operators in all the major crime syndicates on both sides of the border. Got a hit this morning. Pedro Jimenez is on both lists."

"Let me guess, Juarez?" Carson said.

"A lieutenant," Ranger confirmed. "The son of one of Alvarez's mother's cousins. Not a fun guy. His name is linked to at least three massacres along the border, body counts in the dozens. Butchered journalists. Government officials who couldn't be turned. There's a trail of blood a mile long behind this guy."

"We've been trying to get to him for years," Pritchard said. "He's been a driving force behind the defense of the Juarez Plaza. Very aggressive in the war against the Zetas. But we've had trouble finding him. He's too well insulated."

"Well, we might have just found your leverage."

Pritchard shook his head in amazement. "Your girlfriend is probably the best thing that could have happened to this case."

"She not his girlfriend," Carson corrected before Ranger could decide if he wanted to. "But even I have to admit she's had her uses. I've had people on Archibald Thatcher since he got out of surgery. Trying to get answers when he's alert. He was all brick wall until Simmons told him she was deeply involved in the investigation. He's not exactly singing, but he's given us a couple leads he wouldn't have otherwise. You weren't kidding when you said he had a soft spot for her."

Ranger's office door opened enough to let Steph lean in. Stealing the attention of every man in the room. "Just checking in," she said, not at all fazed by the eyes. "I'm following a lead on my FTA."

"The possession with intent?" Ranger asked.

"Yep."

"You armed?"

She gave him an overly dramatic eye roll. "Ugh. Fine. I'll get the gun belt out of the Cayenne."

"Take a fleet car. It'll be less recognizable. And take Nollen."

"No Hal or Ramon?"

"Hal just came off a shift and I've got Ramon covering Thatch. Nollen will do fine. Just try not to break him."

"Ha ha."

She really was adorable.

Steph vanished and shut the door behind her. Off to recruit poor unsuspecting Nollen for her wacky wild adventure. And as ordered, there would be two more teams trailing behind them, watching their backs. With any luck, the lead would pan out. Mini was likely the key to figuring out who was upsetting Trenton for personal gain. There was no short list of people who would love to see Ranger gone, but there couldn't be a whole lot of people who even knew Alvarez or Mini existed.

"Should we alert the fire department that she's on the move?" Carson asked.

Ranger turned to him, a single eyebrow raised. His belly contracting in a silent laugh. He didn't want to let Jack think it was okay to mock his woman, but he couldn't deny that was funny. And not a bad idea, actually. He held in his amusement as best he could. "Tell me about the head," he said to change the subject.

"Damian Marquez. Street name Skeezer. Confirmed by the ME to match the fifth body from Stark. They lifted some partials off the fridge handle, but they turned out to be yours. Unis canvassed the neighbors, but nobody saw anyone suspicious coming or going."

Ranger opened the video file off the company server and angled the monitor so the feds could see. "This is footage from the security cameras that watch the lot. It shows a Hispanic male, early twenties, entering the building with a black backpack at 2:47 pm, about the same time the IED was thrown at us in front of the Vincent Plum Bail Bonds on Hamilton. We're still working on a name, but he's a known runner for MS-13." Proof that Cruz was on board, despite the bad blood between them and the Kings.

"Shit, next you're gonna tell me the Ñetas are involved in this."

"Not yet. Word is they're keeping clean."

"Like the Slayers?" Carson asked.

Pritchard cut a glance at him. Too new to know about the Slayers. They'd been the shit a few years ago. Taking over Comstock and parts of Stark. Until they'd targeted the wrong woman. One plucky bounty hunter by the name of Stephanie Plum. Most of them didn't survive the encounter thanks to an oozy wielding cross dresser. And now this. "They're not on the board anymore," he told them, detailing the incident. "Either they didn't want to play ball, or they were an expendable force that could be made an example of. I'd put money on the latter."

Ranger's phone buzzed. Steph. Must have found something good.

"I just had a run in with Mini," she said as soon as the line opened. "She got away from me."

"Babe. She's five feet tall and you've got armed backup."

"Yeah, five of them. Which we're going to talk about when I get back. But the reason I called is that she said something before she squirreled away. I think I know who we're dealing with. I just don't know why."

"I'm listening."

"I think our mastermind is Alvarez."

Ranger digested that for a second. Several things sliding into place. "What exactly did she say?"

"She said the guy who's after us would burn the world to the ground to get away from you. As far as I know, Alvarez is the only one you've gone after in a while. And given the whole superpowers thing, burning down the world does seem almost logical. I just don't know why he ran in the first place."

"I might be able to answer that. Seems there's been chatter in the supply chain about a Trojan Horse. Sent in by the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels to deal some serious blows to the opposition. The idea is to provide critical information to authorities so they'll do the dirty work. They use federal resources to shut down key points or make major arrests while your hands stay clean. It's a technique they've been using in Mexico for years, but I've never heard of it being done this successfully in the states. After what you said, I went searching up Alvarez's family tree and found a cousin on his mother's side is a Juarez lieutenant. That's likely who he was running to when I caught him. The cousin realized the rare opportunity when Alvarez was sent to a federal prison on the attempted murder charge. Started feeding him intel on the Zetas to get him a deal with the feds."

"So he ran because Mini was digging and he knew it was all about to catch up to him?"

"That would be my guess. The Zetas might be based in Mexico, but they've got a long reach. And not only would the hammer fall on him. It would likely fall on his family too. If it weren't for Mini, I'm not sure anyone would have noticed. There isn't a lot of effective communication between agencies. FBI was getting half the picture, DEA the other. If it weren't for the fact Alvarez got greedy and stuck his hand in the cookie jar, Mini wouldn't have started looking either."

"He should have just said no to drugs."

"Babe." Ranger couldn't keep the smile from surfacing. God, he loved her. "So you coming back in?"

"Maybe. Might see if we can get eyes on her again."

"Be careful." He disconnected. Both men watching him. "Ms. Plum just spoke to a high value insider. If her new theory is accurate, the questions of who might have known about Alvarez would be moot."

"I'm dying to hear this," Carson said.

"She thinks Alvarez is the one pulling the strings. Taking advantage of the chaos he caused by tainting the market so he can gather an army behind him."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because I've hunted him down four times now and brought him back in chains. This time tracking him through twelve states and across the Mexican border after a two day head start. He figured right that there was no hiding from me, especially after he killed a federal agent. Carving himself out a little kingdom here in Trenton is the only way he can see of escaping me and protecting himself from the Zetas until he can get back to his cousin."

Carson and Pritchard exchanged glances. Each hoping the other could see a flaw in that theory. After a long moment, Pritchard shook his head. "That girl of yours. She's a keeper."

Didn't he know it.

o o o

Carson and Pritchard had been gone a while when Steph came back into Ranger's office. A little frustrated, but still in one piece. Mostly. His eyes fell to the red that ringed the tear in her jeans. That hadn't been in Nollen's log. He'd have to have a word with the new guy. He met her gaze. "How'd that happen?"

"Mini's scrappy."

That cut through his mood again. Pulling at the corner of his mouth. Wiseass. "Come in and lock the door."

Steph got that about to eat dessert look. Did as she was told. Ranger crooked a finger at her. "Come here." She wandered toward him, the anticipation winning out over her nerves. She knew she could trust him.

With her body and her life at least.

She was smart to worry about what he could do to her heart.

He extended a hand and she took it. Squealing when he tugged her between him and the desk. "Take your pants off."

"Is that a good idea?"

Cute. Like they hadn't been wrapped around each other naked for the last few weeks. "Either take them off or I'm ripping the hole even bigger so I can see what kind of damage was done. Your choice."

It took her a second, but then she unbuttoned her jeans and shimmied them down her hips, revealing a pair of bright blue bikini cut panties and her long, beautiful legs. The legs that had circled his waist so many times last night that it felt like home. He got the first aid kit out of his desk drawer and set it beside her. Holding back a smile when his body responded. He lifted her up onto his desk and took a seat in his chair so that he could pull her foot into his lap. Her knee eye level. "This is getting to be a habit."

"Maybe I just like it when you kiss it better."

He cut his eyes up to hers and they held. Hers dilated to sapphire. Heat moved through him. She was playing with him. God, he loved it when she played with him. Like he wasn't a street hardened mercenary that made most women quail. He brushed his fingers along her thigh as he examined her torn skin. Steph drew in a sharp breath when he cleaned the wound. Her skin warming despite the discomfort. Ranger caressed her inner thigh to sooth her. Blew a steady stream over the drying alcohol to ease the sting and make her burn at the same time. Mission accomplished. He grinned when she licked her lips. "I might need to check you over for injuries again."

"Do you have time for that?"

He spread a large adhesive bandage over her broken skin and kissed it. "I've got as much time as you need." He kissed the inner slope of her knee where it turned to thigh. And then inched higher. Tension rang through her body. Her breath quivering on the exhale. Might as well have purred like a kitten. "Do I need to ask how hard you fell?"

"I'm not pregnant, remember?"

"Unofficially not pregnant. But still ten days late."

"You're keeping count."

That struck him as funny. Of course he was keeping count. He stood and took his place between her legs. Gathering her up against him so that he could tip her backward over his desk, her heat pressed tight against his hard body. "I'd be stupid not to," he said against her chest. Because every day that passed made him just a little more sure that she belonged to him, free and clear. Four more days and he could prove it with a doctor's appointment. Her breath caught. Sending a surge of longing straight through him. She was so soft and pliant. Melting in his arms. He kissed the swells of her breasts. Her throat. Her neck. Her chin. She was trembling with anticipation when he reached her mouth. So ready for the pleasure she knew was coming.

He sank into her deep right there on his desk. More turned on than he should have been by the thought that the thin layer of protection between them might be too little too late. If the damage was already done, they might not even need them anymore. Which would mean when he took her over and over again in his bed over the next nine months, there wouldn't need to be any barriers between them. Nothing keeping them apart.

She'd be his.

God, he nearly lost control at that. Grateful when Steph's body started to sing, signaling her climax. He stayed with her. Finding his release as she found hers. Her breathing ragged in his ear. It took some effort to steady his own. He collapsed into his desk chair in utter relief. Tugged her into his lap and curled her up in his arms. Holding her close. "That might have been a mistake. I doubt I'll ever get through a meeting in here again without thinking of you on my desk."

"It gets worse. They're kind of expecting us for dinner at my parents' house tonight before I drive Grandma to Tommy Thumb's viewing."

"I'm guessing this wasn't something you volunteered for." She shrugged. Of course it wasn't. Steph hated viewings almost as much as she hated dead bodies. But her granny never missed one and Steph, ever the dutiful granddaughter, had been roped into providing transportation. Just like she was guilted into coming home for dinner every week by her mother. And now he was being dragged with her. Again. "You really do come from a long line of scary women, Babe."

"Does that mean you're leaving me hanging?"

"Is that an option?"

"No."

That earned her a genuine smile. "Should I bring an extra shirt in case your sister shows up?"

"You heard about that?" Ranger raised an eyebrow at her and she sagged. Of course he'd heard about Hal getting spit up on. Several times, in fact. As far as Rangeman gossip went, that story was gold. "You still going to chain me naked to a traffic light if Tank finds out?"

"Yes," he teased, kissing her again. Feeling her soft lips with his. "Or maybe I'll just handcuff you to my bed and have my way with you."

"I thought this was supposed to be discouragement."

He held in a laugh. She was teasing about letting him use handcuffs. Bondage was way out of Stephanie's comfort zone. Didn't stop the wicked thoughts from parading around his filthy head. The idea of taking her to kinky places made him hard again. An adorable little flash of panic filled her eyes. Better move on. For now. He let the amusement win, brushing his lips over hers in a tender kiss. "Given the current climate, the only other options are to keep you on lockdown or send someone in my place."

"Lockdown is out."

"And if I sent someone in my place I'd have to give them hazard pay."

"My families not _that_ bad."

"Babe." She glared a warning at him, but it only made him smile. He caught a curl and gave it a tug. "I have client meetings this afternoon, and my insurance rep is coming in at 5. Then I'm all yours. How many more cases do you have outstanding?"

"Just Mini and Earl Belter, the domestic violence. He's been on a fishing trip with his buddies since last week, which means they're out getting drunk somewhere in the Pine Barrens. A neighbor promised to call when he got back."

"Do you need something to keep you busy?"

"No. I'll probably glance at the files again. Do some deep thinking."

"So you intend to take a nap."

"I explained about the decaf thing, right?"

Ranger laughed and gathered her close, kissing her with every lick of hunger he still felt for her. "I'll be up later," he said into her mouth. "Set your clothes out, but don't bother getting dressed."

"Dinner's at 6, and we can't be late."

"That's why you shouldn't get dressed."

She bit her lip. Battling with the Good Girl part of her nature. Yeah. She'd be naked when he got home.

She slipped off his lap and started for the door, too dazed from his efforts to be aware of herself. He grinned. "Babe."

"What?"

"Pants."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Client meetings were never his favorite part of the job. Half the time they were right up there with paperwork. This afternoon was no exception. Two were perspective clients looking to secure their personal and business properties. Another was looking to hire short term security for an event involving international dignitaries. Between meetings, Ranger dug through financials and holdings of everyone associated with the three gangs backing Alvarez.

Alvarez was a smart dude. Made unexpected decisions that most people would find unpredictable. Ranger had picked up a pattern, though. It was human nature to seek equilibrium. To find comfort in chaos. And Alvarez was no exception. Knowing who his new friends were simplified things. They'd be sticking close to his seat of power. Given the fact that he was never seen meant he was calling the shots from that seat. That would leave a footprint. He just had to find it.

By the time his insurance rep got there at five, Ranger had plugged in all the confirmed sightings of the three gangs into his mapping software and set it to run in the background. If there was a pattern or a hotspot, they would find it. He gestured for the rep to come in. "I appreciate your willingness to meet on such short notice," he said, watching Marshal take a seat.

"Of course. It's not a problem. You're a very busy man. So, what can I do for you today? Are we making adjustments to your fleet policy? Because as I've said, the premium will go down again if you removed your employee Ms. Plum from the vehicle roster."

"I've made my feelings clear on that," Ranger said, holding the man's eye until he swallowed. "In fact, I asked you here because I might be interested in adding Ms. Plum to my private health insurance."

That caught Marshall off guard. Wheels turning as he analyzed what that might mean. "She's already covered as a Rangeman employee. Despite the apparently sporadic nature of her employment."

"But my policy has more coverage."

"It does. And more flexibility. But to add an employee to that—"

"I just want to know my options."

o o o

His penthouse apartment was very quiet when he got home. The atmosphere charged. It always was when Steph was around. Like the way the air pressure changed to signal a coming storm. He held in a smile. A decent metaphor for who Steph was. She blew into his life without warning. Leaving a path of devastation in her wake.

Hurricane Stephanie.

He grinned and paced toward his bedroom. Looking over the figure lying in his bed, fast asleep. Her soft, chocolate curls fell over his pillow, her pale skin flushed and rosy. God, she was beautiful. She was far from perfect, but that was what he liked about her. She was crazy. Like he was. But in the very best ways. The ways that made it hard to picture life without her now that he knew what life with her was like. Because he was in deep, deep shit.

He felt it when she came awake. Her breathing changed from deep sleep to alert, and then to aroused when she recognized his presence. She knew he was coming. He stripped off his clothes and pulled the covers back, sliding in beside her. Over her. Kissing every inch of her around the plain black t-shirt she was still wearing. Exploring under it. He slipped a hand down the back of her panties when she arched into him. Grinning against her throat at the eager response. She wanted him bad, and she knew it. Gave herself over to it. He was so swept up in her he had to remind himself to reach for a condom. Something he'd never had to think about before, it was such second nature. But Steph made him forget himself. Who he was. What he expected out of life. She made him want more.

Made him feel whole again. God, help him.

She was a quivering puddle of naked woman by the time he left her on his bed to get dressed. Too satisfied to contemplate getting up. He let her soak it in. Stepped into his giant walk-in closet.

Usually it was three walls of solid black, but at some point while they were gone, Ella had put Stephanie's clothes away. Mixing them in with his. There were bold colored t-shirts. Blue jeans hanging with his cargo pants. White and red silk blouses sharing space with his dress shirts. The sexy red dress in with his business suits. He'd been right. He liked seeing her cute little clothes in his closet. So much more than when his clothes had been in hers. There was a depth to it. Intimacy he'd told himself he would never have. And in a few minutes, they were leaving to have dinner at her mother's house like he swore to himself could never happen.

Funny how plans change.

There was a brief moment when something dark drained away some of his enjoyment. It was gone a moment later, shut out like everything else. But he'd recognized it. Odd. He didn't think he was capable of feeling guilt anymore. Maybe he'd mislabeled it. Might have been foreboding. That was more likely. Because the way karma played out, something would come along soon to mess this up. It always did. Whether it was Morelli or Steph's own nerves. Something always got between them. And he had to be okay with that when it did. Because he loved her enough to let her go if that was what was best for her.

Ranger was dressed in a pair of slacks and a nice button down shirt when he came out of the closet, sport coat in hand. Steph was slipping her black pencil skirt up over the hem of the sexy silk blouse she'd picked out. Her eyes combing over the professional clothing. "Does this mean you're coming to the viewing with us?"

"It's not exactly my idea of a good time, but I figured it was smart to leave the option open."

"So it's not to impress my mother?"

Ranger chuckled as he crossed the room. Like he'd ever been the kind of guy to try and impress his girlfriend's mother. Or have a girlfriend at all. Something Steph was very aware of. He came close behind her, zipping up the back of her pencil skirt. He laid a kiss on the nape of her neck. "Anthony Thumbelli runs the mob in Trenton. His brother was a trigger man for Grizzoli, but he was still family. His viewing will likely be a who's who of the Trenton mob scene as they pay their respects. It's a gesture I would usually make in private, but considering the circumstances I might make an exception."

"The circumstances being the gang thing? Or the circumstances being me?"

"Both. It's not a secret that you're a close associate of mine. If you attend an event like this, it might be assumed you're representing me."

"And that could go either way, right?"

He smiled. It really could. Especially with Steph's granny involved. That woman was a hell raiser.

She was waiting for them in the open front doorway when they parked the Cayenne in front of the Plum house. Looking just a little too pleased to see him. He was going to have to be mindful of his perimeters. Edna Mazur could be amusing, but she had wandering hands. And contrary to his threats, he wasn't actually allowed to shoot her. "Well, don't you look nice. This one cleans up real good."

"You should see him in a tux," Steph said. Ranger held in a smile, his hand at the small of Steph's back. She liked him even better in nothing.

From the warm glow in her eyes, she'd had the same thought. Not surprising, since he'd been inside her not fifteen minutes ago. And after the viewing, he was going to take her home with him and she'd get to see him naked for another long and satisfying night. A thought that made dinner in the asylum all the more worth it.

Frank Plum was still sitting in his lazy boy watching television when Edna led the way into the living room. The look up was brief. Just long enough to register who'd arrived. His expression said _That guy again, huh?_ And then he went back to watching television.

Frank never seemed to have too much of a problem with Ranger's presence on the few occasions they'd shared air space. Which was pretty surprising given the dangerous vibe Ranger put off.

The first time they'd met, Ranger had been in street mode, so the man's shock was understandable. Gold chains and a ponytail. Combat boots. And a dubious explanation of what he was to Stephanie, considering her mother and granny kept calling him 'the bounty hunter boyfriend'. A lot of dads would have freaked out. After all, Ranger was the kind of man daughters usually brought home to piss off their family. Instead, Frank had looked at him funny, and then gotten over it. And the second time, he actually accepted Ranger without the least bit of surprise or hostility.

Didn't mean he'd be thrilled if Steph was pregnant. That might test the limits of his hands off attitude. Then again. Steph hadn't said anything about Frank overreacting when her sister Valerie had a child out of wedlock with Albert Kloughn. And that guy was a struggling lawyer who couldn't make ends meet. Not an issue Frank would have with Ranger. Ranger might not jump to offering marriage like Albert had, but Steph would be well taken care of. That was a promise he could make and keep.

Stephanie's mother eyed him with a lot more discernment. "Stephanie, could you help me in the kitchen please?"

That was a tone of voice Ranger was all too familiar with. The _parlay with the enemy_ sound of a mother with interrogation on her mind. And unfortunately for Steph, bowing out wasn't an option. Her shouldered slumped in a cute way as she dragged her ass off to answer for her choice in friends and dining companions. And from the look on Helen's face, sexual partners.

Not much escaped a sharp eyed mama.

Edna singled him out as soon as they were alone in the dining room. "So I hear you got a real good look at that head in Stephanie's fridge."

Ranger kept his smile on the inside. Edna had a morbid curiosity bordering on sociopathic. Not that Ranger was one to judge. And he wouldn't necessarily be averse to discussing decapitation at the dinner table, depending on the company. But if he was going to end up linked to these people permanently, it was probably best to be mindful of his image. That, and he didn't want Steph to overhear. It would put her off her pot roast. "That would be part of an open investigation."

"And?"

He gave her what Steph called the cop face. Edna frowned. Not that there was much he could do to make that particular woman dislike him. She realized pretty quickly that he wasn't going to spill any details and decided the deep grilling that was no doubt going on in the kitchen was a more likely source of entertainment.

Frank grunted when he got out of his chair. "Crazy old bat." Ranger held in a smile. That wasn't inaccurate. Stephanie's father came over to take his usual seat at the table. Eyed Ranger where he stood, completely at ease with his surroundings. "Are you dating my daughter?"

"Stephanie and I work together."

"That's not an answer."

The smile was getting more insistent. Used to be men like Frank Plum would be afraid of men like Ranger. Apparently protective papa outweighed pudgy working-class middle-aged Italian guy. "Would that be a problem?"

Frank tossed a dismissive hand and pulled out his chair. "I'm just trying to keep up. Nobody ever tells me anything around here." He took a seat. "So, you own a big fancy security company." Ranger nodded. "And you own that building too?"

"Yes." And several others across four states.

"That's pretty impressive. How'd you get into that?"

"It's what I'm good at."

Frank nodded to show he understood doing what you were good at.

Ranger pulled out the chair beside Stephanie's and settled in. Very aware that under normal circumstances, this would be considered a conversation with his girlfriend's father.

His pregnant girlfriend's father.

He had to wonder if Frank would be so laid back when that bomb dropped.

There were footsteps on the stairs. Stephanie. Coming back after what was no doubt a clever and daring escape from the Spanish Inquisition. She looked distracted, though. Over thinking. Not good. Things must not have gone well in the kitchen. Whatever was said had thrown her. Put her on guard.

He didn't figure her mother and grandmother had guessed there was a chance she was pregnant. They weren't shooting daggers at him, or looking overjoyed in her granny's case. But Steph wasn't looking at him with that glowing excitement anymore either. She was getting skittish again. Second guessing her choice to be in his bed.

Conversation must have turned to Morelli. It wasn't the only explanation, but it was the most likely. There were traces of guilt on Stephanie's face, but the primary emotion there was self preservation. She was afraid. Over the fact he wasn't relationship material, or marriage worthy. Couldn't even bring himself to label what she was to him out loud. And because she was smart, she was afraid to take a leap of faith with him without knowing for certain he'd be there to catch her.

Rock and a hard place.

Fucking pregnancy test.

Her mother and grandmother swept into the room, causing enough distraction that she was willing to come closer. Scents of pot roast and potatoes. Steph didn't say much when she took the seat he held out for her. Looked like she was biting her tongue. Watching her family go through the ordinary and well practiced ritual of family dinner. Conversation stayed to small talk. Little of which involved him. By the time Helen served dessert, Steph was antsy. Ready to escape even more than usual. Ranger wasn't sure what had her so on edge, but he couldn't help but find it cute. Just like the exasperation that she showed about his easy comfort level with her family. He was leaned back, his arm resting along the back of her chair. He'd passed on the pineapple upside-down cake in favor of black coffee. Watching her with a shine of affection he couldn't help. If she got anymore frazzled, he'd have to kiss her. An impulse he was resisting in case she'd been playing the platonic card.

Once again she was saved by the grandma. "We better get going if we wanna get good seats. This'll be a big one, what with it being a murder and all. Those always get real crowded."

"You are responsible for her," Helen said to Stephanie. "Do not let her cause another scene like she did last time."

"Last time wasn't my fault," Grandma said. "That lid sprang open all on its own. It was fate."

"It was you with a nail file. You can't do that. It's upsetting. They have closed casket funerals for a reason."

"People feel deprived when they don't get a chance to see the deceased. How are we supposed to know who's in there? It could be anybody. How do we know they're even dead?"

Helen made the sign of the cross over her chest, a reflex Ranger often saw from his grandmother, and then she turned to Steph again. "Keep her under control, or I'm not making another pineapple upside-down cake for a year."

Ranger's amused eyes were pulled to Steph when she sighed. Guess that threat held a lot of weight. Steph took her dessert pretty seriously. Funny thing was, though Ranger had absolutely no need or inclination to value desserts, if Steph wanted pineapple upside-down cake that badly he'd have Ella make one for her in a heartbeat.

He gave Frank a nod of respect and thanked Helen for the meal, and then stood to pull Stephanie's chair out for her to aid her flight. Unable to keep the laughter out of his eyes. Steph shot him a reproachful grimace when she saw it and he nearly lost his composure. He got them into the Cayenne before she could get mad at him. Drove them the short distance to the funeral home.

Vince pulled his fleet vehicle out of the spot nearest the doors. Tickling Steph's granny. "We should do this with Ranger more often," she said on the sly. "I can't remember the last time I got to park so close."

"He has good parking karma," was Steph's answer. No way she didn't realize the number of men he'd have on scene. Not after she'd weaseled it out of Nollen that he had two teams on her back. She was handling Edna. A smart move, considering the trouble she might cause if she realized how tenuous the night could be.

He pulled into the spot a second before his phone buzzed. A pattern he never liked to hear. He looked at the phone and had that confirmed. Fuck.

"What is it?" Steph asked.

"Break in. Looks like multiple locations." Ranger hit Tank on speed dial and pressed the phone to his ear. His friend answered on the first ring.

"We've got a half dozen alarms going off at once, spaced evenly around the perimeter of Trenton. All of them were tripped in the same minute."

"Have we confirmed the breach?"

"No one has eyes yet. None of them were accounts with video, so we can't confirm from the control room. I've dispatched teams to each of the locations and alerted PD, but given the firewalls we have against cyber attack this could only be a multi location coordinated assault. Meaning either someone wants to mask their real target by setting us scrambling, or it's a diversion to weaken our defenses. Either way, it's not good."

"Redirect whatever resources are necessary without breaking protocol. Lock it down. I'm on my way in." He hung up. "Change of plans, Babe. I have to head back to Rangeman."

"How many locations are being hit?"

"Six."

"Oh boy."

"Yeah. Someone's trying to stretch my resources thin. Could be it's a test run to clock response time, but there's a small chance this might precipitate a move on Rangeman. Scatter my forces to make the building vulnerable. I'll leave a couple guys to watch your Granny, but we need everyone else to cover all bases."

"I understand. We'll be fine."

Shit. She was looking far too sure of herself. Like she was very intent on staying. "Babe. I'd be happier if you were at Rangeman with me."

"I can't. I promised my mom I'd look after Grandma."

"Babe."

"We'll be fine. Promise." She threw her eyes around the entrance to the funeral home. Looking for evidence that she'd be safe enough without him. She found Carson and Pritchard standing with several other feds. Out in force because of the mob presence. Local plainclothes were in residence, too. Including one Ranger wasn't all that pleased to see. "Look," she said. "Both FBI and DEA are here. And that's Morelli's SUV parked right over there. This is probably the safest place to be tonight next to Rangeman."

She could be in the middle of FBI headquarters with an dozen armed escorts and he still wouldn't like leaving her alone. Not with only Nollen and Hal watching her back. He was exploring how pissed she'd be if he hit the door locks and drove both her and her grandmother straight to Rangeman when Stephanie cut her eyes to the rearview mirror. Ranger bounced a glance off it. Edna was watching with baited breath. Reading him the way only a busybody old lady could. If he tried to drag them off now, it might not go over well. And he couldn't afford the time to make a reasoned argument. Not if there was a chance there would be an assault on his building. Fuck.

Ranger opened the glove compartment and pulled out the discrete GPS device. "You're familiar with the panic button. Keep it on your person at all times. Not just in your purse. Got it?"

"Got it."

Steph hooked a finger into the low V neckline of her blouse and pulled it out so she could tuck the panic button into her bra. He caught a glimpse of a creamy white half moon of breast. Damn. If only Edna wasn't in the Cayenne. He'd have been happy to help Steph arrange the GPS device if it meant he'd get to curl a hand or two around her soft breasts. Hell, he could think of one or two other places he'd have liked to try putting it. Might push her comfort level when it came to kinky, but considering all the intensely pleasurable things his sick mind could come up with it wasn't that far out of the box.

Ranger saw it when she had the same thought and he grinned.

Great minds.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ranger watched Steph hop out of the car and open the door for her grandma, still kind of hoping that she'd change her mind and go with him. No such luck. She waved to him when she got to where Pritchard was standing, surrounded by DEA and FBI. Ranger wasn't happy about her leaving his sight, but he didn't have any grounds to make decisions for her. He called Hal and gave him specific instructions to keep her out of harm's way and started for Rangeman.

Tank was on deck in the control room when Ranger got to 5. Coordinating the fleet from over Junior's shoulder. He tipped his head to acknowledge Ranger's presence. "We've got eyes on half the properties already. No signs of forced entry. Looks like they tripped the alarm and left. I've got a team sitting on each location until we give the all clear, with one car for back up patrolling nearby. The rest of our forces are coming in."

"And our network?"

"Kings and MS-13 are out in force. Seen in the area near each break-in. According to our sources, they've been buzzing an industrial section of Stark in addition to their home turf. Could be significant."

"You plug it into the mapping software?"

Tank nodded. "Looks like we've got a hot spot. I sent Hector to poke around. He'll blend into that neighborhood like a shadow."

Ranger nodded his approval. Hector wasn't on his normal roster. Lacked the size and military training Ranger usually put on the front lines. That, and the teardrop tattooed ex-con look had a tendency to make clients nervous. He mostly did in house work handling the electrical elements of the custom security systems. Which meant his face wasn't often associated with Rangeman. Small and wiry, and at home on the mean streets, shadow was an understatement.

"Set up sentries at the chokepoints around the building. I want warning if we have incoming. And I want an open line with Hal linked to my com. He and Nollen are monitoring Steph and her grandmother at Thumbelli's viewing."

"You didn't bring her in?" Tank asked before reason could override his surprise.

"Steph's a big girl." Which meant _drop it._ Tank didn't argue. They both knew her well enough to realize that telling Steph what to do was right up there with discharging a firearm in public. It should only be done under extreme circumstances when there are armed assailants and possible casualties involved.

Tank had Junior change up the necessary frequencies and Ranger tucked the bud into one ear. It helped. An anchor to the quiet, low level buzz of the funeral home that kept the companywide chatter in perspective. They confirmed zero breach on the other three locations. Putting extra men on the closed circuit camera system that monitored high traffic points throughout Trenton. When the fleet cars started arriving in the garage, Ranger had them gear up. Wait with the vehicles in their flak jackets so they could be mobilized at a moment's notice.

Trenton was quiet.

Calm before the storm.

Whatever shit was going down, it would make itself known soon enough. Ranger's instincts were whispering loud and clear. Not a test. But it didn't feel like an assault was coming either. There was another target they hadn't considered yet.

The noise in his right ear stole his focus. Raised voices in the background. "Hal, report."

"Something happened in Thumbelli's viewing room. My guess is Granny popped the casket again."

Ranger held tight to the smile, a laugh trying to surface. Steph would have to kiss her favorite dessert goodbye. "You've got eyes on Steph?"

"Until five seconds ago. She was talking to Morelli, and then the crowd gasped enough to suck the air out the room and she and Morelli went running. We're working our way there now." Ranger heard it when the shocked murmur turned angry. Hal's smile faded. "Something's wrong."

And then all hell broke loose. Hal swore. Ordered Nollen to stay at his shoulder so they could push through the crowd. There were shouts and screams, people running. And then the pop of a .44 Magnum made Ranger's heart stop. "Get her out of there!"

Tank barked orders at Junior, and then the open line was broadcasting through the control room. Another pop. More screaming. The rustle of clothes as his men tried to swim upstream against the fleeing masses. _Pop!_ And then nothing. "Shit!" Nollen shouted. "Do you see her?"

Hal didn't answer. Still pushing through. And then he let out the breath he'd been holding. "I've got eyes! Morelli has her. Threat neutralized. He's looking for an escape route."

"Help him find one," Ranger said.

"Copy." Hal ordered Nollen to cut right while he went left, but another shot ripped through the air. Not the Magnum. A Glock. More screaming. More fleeing. "Out of the way!" Hal was shouting, and then another shot, louder this time, and a grunt of pain. A second gunman. "Christ! Nollen's been hit!"

Ranger's body was cold steel. His heart barely beating. Stale air burning in his lungs. This was his worst nightmare realized. Stephanie was in the middle of a firefight. Without him. And the armed guard he'd left to keep her safe was bleeding. "Send backup," he said to Junior. Junior dispatched four cars, but they all knew none of them wouldn't get there in time. That building was full of law enforcement. Whatever was going down, it was going down fast. And because he'd locked down his building against an assault that wasn't coming, most of his forces were seven minutes away.

"Can't get a visual on the hostiles! Too many civilians in the way!" Shots rang over the panic. "Wait, there's four. Eight. Ten. Jesus, Morelli's down! Took a shot to the shoulder! Thumbelli's men are returning fire!"

"Get to Stephanie! Now!" Ranger said.

Hal's weapon discharged. Three quick pops. One hostile down. Pop, pop, pop. Two. Pop, pop. And then a pause. "Fuck," he breathed. And then the line went static. Nothing but panic and dead air coming through the open channel. Ranger listened to every sound. Distant shouts and a retreat. A door thrown wide on its hinges. Then Hal's heavy feet pounding the pavement. The chirp of tires as cars peeled away. Four vehicles. Big trucks or SUVs. And then Hal let out a hard breath and started panting. Doubled over. "Fuck," he breathed again. "Fuck fuck fuck."

"What do you see?" Ranger asked. But they all knew the answer already. Every man in the control room was standing frozen. Their eyes on Ranger. Even the men in the garage were still. The channel was broadcasting company wide. He heard the uneven breath Hal pulled in.

"They took her. Her and Morelli. Fucking pistol-whipped the back of her head. Had to hit Morelli twice before he went lights out. Dragged them both out to a white panel van, heading east onto Broad." He gave the license plate number. "Should I pursue?"

Ranger struggled to shut out his emotions for a second. He couldn't afford to be shortsighted now. Not with Stephanie's life at stake. He locked away everything and turned his mind over to his years of training and experience. They had protocols for a reason. Ranger was watching the fleet screen. Steph's purse was still transmitting from the funeral parlor, but the panic button was on the move. Marking her location like a bright red flare.

Intercepting them in transit could go very wrong. Might result in dead hostages. What they needed was to get control back. And that meant letting the bad guys think they got away.

As much as Ranger hated it.

"Negative," he said, his voice cold and even. "Pursuit might spook them. Stay with Nollen. Ambulance is en route." He directed to Junior. "Get men on her signal, but keep them dark. I don't want to risk casualties because some prick got nervous."

Junior communicated that to the cars he'd dispatched. They wouldn't interfere unless they saw an opening. Tank answered a call. Hector. He put it on speaker so Ranger could hear. Tank's Spanish was almost as bad and Hector's English. " _Found something interesting_ ," Hector said. " _Lotta traffic coming in and out of a warehouse on the seventh block of Stark. Guys in colors that don't mix, if you know what I'm saying. Lots of M-16s and AKs_."

" _You get a head count_?" Ranger asked him.

 _"_ _Maybe three dozen coming and going. I count fifteen standing guard outside._ "

" _Keep watching. We'll be on your location in ten_." Ranger nodded and Tank disconnected. "Contact the feds and local PD. I want all the manpower I can get. And call FBI Director Gillian. Tell her whatever's necessary to get this sanctioned. I'm taking point."

Tank nodded. Ranger could see that his friend didn't think it was a good idea. Like maybe Ranger was too close to the situation to make rational decisions. He also knew better than to say it out loud. Ranger was a professional. He'd taken down guerilla armies with fewer men than this. Infiltrated heavily armed fortresses and gotten out again without being noticed. He'd led teams into the heart of enemy territory and rescued assets and soldiers without casualty.

But none of those assets had been Stephanie.

He shut it down. This wasn't new either. Stephanie was always in trouble. He had to have faith that she'd be able to handle herself until he could get to her. Steph was smart. Tenacious. Capable. Incredibly brave.

She was also the love of his life.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ranger and his men got there before law enforcement. Gave him a chance to get the lay of the land without interference. Thermal read twenty-five bodies outside. Hard to tell how many were in the warehouse, but from Hector's numbers there were at least ten. Ranger waited outside with twenty men at his back. They could have taken the building. They had the training and the skills. But an op like this required planning. Proper recon. He needed to know how things were playing inside. He needed to read Alvarez. Take his temperate so he knew how the man would react.

He called Steph's cell.

The line opened after only a couple rings. "I've got your woman."

Alvarez. His voice was distant. The static heavier than usual. A texture of ambient sound fizzing under his unsure breaths. Speaker phone. So Steph would hear them. Ranger listened to the man's hesitation at the silence. The soles of his shoes shifted against the concrete floor. Nervous. Good.

"I've also got your cop buddy," he tried. "I don't know what kind of kinky ass shit you got going on with the three of you, but if you so much as sneeze wrong, he's a dead man."

Ranger still didn't answer. He could practically hear the man sweating.

"I could just kill them now—"

"Let me talk to Stephanie," he said at last. Cutting him off like he hadn't been speaking. He heard it when the prick smiled, but he knew better than to buy it. Alvarez was rattled. Smart man. He knew he had the tiger by the tail and he was holding on like hell to keep from getting ripped in half.

Steph's breathing got louder when Alvarez lowered the phone. "I'm here," she said. Her voice strong. All bravado, but that was encouraging enough. She sounded fierce. Fierce was good. Meant she was taking back control.

"Are you hurt?" he asked her.

"A little. One of them hit me in the head. And Joe's been shot. I can't see how bad."

Alvarez lifted the phone again. "She's not damaged. How long she stays that way is up to you."

"What do you want?"

"Same as anybody. I don't want to fucking die. And that's what'll happen if I end up with the feds. You let me walk away and I'll leave your girlfriend alone. This doesn't have to get any uglier."

"You didn't recruit yourself an army to ask me nicely for your freedom. What do you want?"

"I want to know you're not going to hunt me down the second you've got her back."

"And how could I make that promise in a way that you would believe?"

"You say it to my face. I'll know if you're lying."

"Where?"

"Warehouse on the seventh block of Stark. Come alone."

Ranger hung up on him. Staying cold as stone.

It wasn't lost on Alvarez what a giant risk he was taking. Ranger was dangerous. Even without the small army of highly trained soldiers and mercenaries at his back. He didn't expect Ranger to come alone any more than he was willing to let him walk out alive. That was why he'd grabbed Steph. Steph was Ranger's weak spot. The one asset he'd trade his life for. And Alvarez was counting on that. Clever asshole that he was, he thought he was one move away from checkmate.

"What are your orders, sir?" Woody asked him.

Ranger was quiet a moment. Working through the best and worst case scenarios. Reading the nervous amateurs on guard. This op could go wrong in a lot of ways. Sudden assault would cause an upset inside. Dead hostages. Taking a covert team through the side might catch them off guard, but if they didn't take down every man in under ten seconds, dead hostages. If anyone other than him tried to gain entry through the front door, dead hostages.

They would let him walk in alone. He'd be disarmed at some point, but they wouldn't shoot him right away. Alvarez wanted to watch him die. See the boogieman ghosted with his own eyes so that he knew for certain that it was over. And he'd expect Ranger wouldn't go quietly until he saw Steph at gunpoint.

It would be threading a needle, but it was a sound plan.

He cut his eyes around his men. "Two teams. Six will approach the front entrance with me and act as decoys. The rest are shadow," he said, removing the clip from his Glock. The men watched with curious fascination as he emptied the clip and popped the round from the chamber. "Standby while I surrender and enter the building. Likely with an armed escort. Reduce their numbers as quietly as possible. Minimum casualties. Try to have the perimeter neutralized before the feds arrive." He emptied his pistol too. Giving Woody the loose ammunition before he shoved the clip back into his weapon and fit it into his ankle holster. "I want all operatives on the open channel. I'll signal when the noise should start."

His men nodded obediently, and when he stalked toward the building six of them fell into step behind him. They moved like apparitions into the light and a quiver ran through the armed guards. Their guns went up.

Pointed at him.

"You go in alone," the lead guy said. Luis Vega. Skeezer's former lieutenant. In a better position now that his boss was dead. Might have even done the deed himself. Late twenties. 6'4". Built like a brick wall. Familiar darkness in his eyes that Ranger knew all too well. He'd killed his fair share. Wouldn't hesitate to do it again. He pointed his Glock at Ranger's head and gestured him toward the door.

Ranger stared at him a second, and then strode forward like it was his god given right.

Vega called ahead and five more men surrounded him on his walk to the gallows. Weapons drawn. Steel in their expressions. And nearly all of them looked like they might need a change of pants. They kept with him all the way in. Staying just out of strike range.

Alvarez was standing at the end of the gauntlet with Stephanie's back pressed against his chest, the muzzle of a police issued firearm digging into her neck. Ranger shut down the whisper of emotion before it could register. He couldn't afford to think of her as anything but an asset. Because if he let himself think of what she really was to him, he might make a mistake one or both of them wouldn't walk away from. Steph, on the other hand, was an open book. Relief, worry, fear. Then she turned white. Like she had the night he'd walked into her apartment to face Scrogg, knowing full well he was about to be shot.

Alvarez held her tighter. His eyes anchored to Ranger. "Take his gun."

One of his flunkies reached for Ranger and flinched when Ranger's sharp eyes fell on him. Like it'd been a cobra's strike. If the circumstances had been different, he might have laughed at that. Ranger put a hand on his gun and they all tensed before he pulled it and offered it up. The guy took it gingerly and stepped back into the ring again.

"Check him for other weapons."

"I'm not fucking touching him," the man muttered.

"Chickenshit. Diego."

Diego shook his head. He wasn't touching him either.

"For christsake. Vega. Frisk him."

This time the big man moved forward. Gave Ranger a halfhearted pat down and then stepped away. Pathetic. He might as well have left his pistol loaded. These fuckers didn't have any intention to find it. They were all looking at him like he had the mystical ability to kill them by virtue of eye contact.

Ranger turned that eye onto Alvarez. "Let the girl go. You're not getting away, but you still have the choice of leaving this situation alive."

"I'm the one in the position of power this time, dumbass. I scratched together an army out of nothing. I've got three dozen armed men posted outside to ambush anybody unfortunate enough to have sided with you. And even if you brought the fucking army, I can just slip away again as long as you're no longer breathing. This comes down to you or me and I'm not rolling over to show you my belly just because you growl. Now, drop any other weapons you have or I'll blow your girl's godamn brains out."

And there it was. Proper incentive. Ranger lifted his shirt and unclipped the folded Army tactical blade he always kept on him. Tossed it with a clatter onto the cement floor. Then he pulled the pistol from his ankle holster. Handed it to Diego. Diego grinned and tucked his own gun away. Pointing the empty pistol at Ranger's face. Like it added insult to injury to shoot him with his own gun. Something Ranger was banking on.

Alvarez relaxed. Let the muzzle of Morelli's gun leave Stephanie's neck. And then he pointed it at Ranger and squeezed the trigger. Steph knocked her shoulder into Alvarez's arm. Forced the shot wide. Alvarez swore and shoved her down hard enough to knock the wind out of her. She thrashed on the ground, fighting for air.

Ranger's control slipped.

He could hear the teams moving on the building through his earpiece, but he wasn't listening. He snatched the two guns nearest him and dragged their owners together, relieving them of their weapons when they struck each other.

The flunky shoved Ranger's empty Glock into his face. The soft click made him white. He didn't get a chance to try again. Ranger struck him hard and threw him into Vega. Snatching Diego's gun too when he tried to use Ranger's pistol. Ranger landed one blow after another until only two men were standing. Gunfire punctuating in the distance.

"Ranger!" Alvarez shouted.

A whisper of dread shot through him. Diego and Vega were panting and bleeding. Gave him a wide berth when he turned to face the man who had a gun on Stephanie Plum. Gunfire could be heard in the front of the building. PD. Breaching the warehouse. Most of the opposition had been taken out before they'd arrived, but the few pissants unlucky enough to still be in play were on the run.

"What is that?" Alvarez demanded.

"I brought the fucking army," Ranger said. "Surrender. Now."

"Not happening. Kill him," he told his men. They didn't move. Ranger had disarmed them already. Knocked the shit out of them too. They knew if their took their eyes off him there was a good chance they'd wake up in handcuffs. If they woke up at all. "If he moves, I'll kill his woman. Get a fucking gun and put him down."

The teams were past the entrance hall. Working their way through the hallway. Ninety seconds and they'd be flooded with feds and uniforms. And Alvarez knew it.

"Fucking cowards. I'll do it myself." He swung his weapon away from Stephanie. Ranger dropped to the ground and went for the nearest weapon, ignoring the bullets cutting into the floor around him. He took aim. Alvarez whipped his gun on Steph again to make Ranger stop in his tracks, but Steph was faster. Yanked Morelli's revolver out of his ankle holster and squeezed her eyes shut. Thunder and smoke ripping the air with every muzzle flash. One after another.

Emptying every round into Alvarez.

The man staggered back as the pops turned to clicks. Steph didn't stop squeezing. Didn't hear Alvarez fall. Didn't hear the feds pour into the room, Vega and Diego dropping to their knees with their hands on their heads in surrender. She just kept clicking as tears leaked down her face and dripped from her chin.

Ranger closed a hand over hers to stop her. Felt her sag with relief, tears streaming. "It's okay, Babe," he said softly. "It's over."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Steph's arms were trembling from the weight of the gun in her hands. Her bright, vibrant eyes swimming when she finally opened them. Saw him kneeling in front of her without judgment. Her face folded. The burden was way heavier on her than he could ever remember it being for him. Tender hearted as she was, she couldn't take a life lightly. Shouldn't. She looked around for the man she'd killed, but Ranger was between them. Didn't want her to bear that if she didn't have to.

Something he could tell she was grateful for.

Ranger grasped the gun and pulled it from her stiff fingers. His warm hand still closed around her icy skin. She was white. Fight or flight stealing the blood from her extremities. "Building's cleared," he told her, hoping that would help her calm. "Paramedics are on their way in. How are you feeling?"

"I'm o-okay," she stammered. Breaking through his stone cold demeanor again like a little ray of sunshine. "Don't l-laugh a-at me. I h-hate ad-renaline. I c-can't stop sh-sh-shaking."

"It'll wear off soon enough," he said, failing to hold in the smile of pride. "You were incredible."

"Did...did you sh-shoot him or did I?"

"Would it make you feel better if I shot him?"

"Yes."

"Then it's your lucky day." Because he wasn't going to tell her what she didn't want to know. Willful ignorance was a blessing sometimes. At least where Steph was concerned.

Paramedics were rolling in a gurney for Morelli. He didn't look great. The cement under his head was stained bright red. Still bleeding. His face twitching like he was trying really hard to find consciousness. Knew Steph had been in danger and was fighting like hell to save her, like he had at the funeral home before they tried to bash his brains in.

Like he'd been doing for years.

Because he loved her more than his own life.

Ranger had to respect that. No matter how things played out between them.

He lifted her when the medics reached them. Wrapping his arms around her to keep her from falling apart. His hand spread over her still flat belly while they treated the man she loved. "They must have hit Morelli a lot harder than they did you," he said, feeling the lump at the back of her head. "We'll have you checked out when we get to the hospital."

"No, I'm okay."

"Babe, I wasn't asking. There are a lot of risks associated with head trauma. Not to mention how hard you hit the ground."

She was chewing the inside of her cheek. Had something to say he wouldn't like. "It doesn't matter how hard I fell," she whispered. "I'm not pregnant."

"Babe."

"No, it's official this time. I found out at my mom's house. I'm not late anymore," she said with a shrug.

"You sure?"

"I can't get much surer."

She wasn't looking at him. She was watching them wheel Morelli away. Didn't see the fleeting moment when he couldn't keep the disappointment from his face.

It wasn't a fraction of the disappointment he felt.

He'd been so sure. Told himself it wasn't just possible, but likely. Because deep down it had been what he really wanted. More than just an excuse to keep her. More than a permanent link to a woman he couldn't stop obsessing over. He'd wanted this.

A child.

With her.

As cruel as it would be, as unfathomable as it was for him to contemplate, that was the absolute truth.

Because he was a fucking selfish bastard.

"I can't do this anymore," she said at last.

"Do what?"

"This. Whatever this is. I can't do it. It's too risky."

An understatement, considering what she almost lost. He was relaxed around her, holding her tight. And she was tense. Because now that the threat was past, now that she knew with certainty that she hadn't lost the life she wanted by default because of a cruel twist of fate, she had to decide if she wanted to take the blind leap and stay in his bed. Settle for love and affection when she could have so much more than he was capable of offering. "You need promises," he confirmed.

She nodded. "I need solid ground. It doesn't work, trying to build bridges out of pillows. I know. Getting married again isn't in your life plan, but it might be in mine. You can't do relationships. Turns out I can't do just love and affection."

"That's an intelligent and mature observation," Ranger said. And then he turned her in his arms and kissed her. Soft and deep. Ignoring for just a moment that she was better off without him. Because no matter how intelligent he was, no matter how mature he tried to be, loving her made him stupid enough to want what he couldn't have.

Sunshine.

She melted. Her lungs shuttered up like she'd forgotten how to breathe. He broke the kiss when a smile found him. Resting his forehead on hers.

Deep.

Deep.

Shit.

"If you ever find yourself feeling stupid, you know where to find me."

She nodded again, caught up in the stupor he always caused in her. God. If he ever managed to slice her out of his soul it would be a miracle.

He couldn't promise her that he'd let her be, but he would try, if that's what she wanted. For her sake. Even if it killed him to see her happy with someone else.

As long as she was happy.

o o o

Ranger stayed behind to deal with the fallout, since he didn't have Stephanie to rush home to. Work was as good a distraction as any. Better, in fact, because it made up such a big part of his life. It was what he was good at. He'd seen that Steph was driven to the hospital to be with Morelli. It was the right thing to do. From what he heard, Morelli had a pretty serious concussion, but the intracranial swelling was minimal, and the bullet he'd taken was little more than a graze. Stitches and observation. Couple days of hospital food and he'd be home. Probably wouldn't even need medical leave.

Lucky bastard.

Nollen hadn't faired quite as well. The bullet broke his humerus. Officially putting him on a desk for the next few months until he could requalify for active duty. From what Hal said, Nollen wasn't all that upset about it. Hell of a first week.

Steph came for her things the day after the shooting. Ella had told him when Steph was coming. Given him plenty of opportunity to corner her in his penthouse apartment and seduce her into staying if that's what he wanted to do. But he knew all too well nothing was that simple. Short term solution for a long term problem. Even if he convinced her to stay another night, or two or three, they would still be in the same place. Two people with different goals in life, on two very different paths, who happened to be drawn together by a sexual attraction like gravity. It wasn't something you could build a life on. And he couldn't ask her to trust him when he was keeping secrets.

He could tell her about his past. Parts of it at least. But he was afraid. Afraid that it wouldn't sit well with her, the things he'd done. Even in the service of his country. Not the girl who was squeamish over blood and dead bodies. The girl who was afraid of her own gun because she understood just how dangerous it was.

If she knew him. Truly knew what he was. He might lose the rest of her too.

He couldn't risk that.

Not yet, at least.

Steph visited Morelli a few times in the hospital. Drove him home when he was released. But she didn't get back with him. Not for months, as far as Ranger could tell. She'd been given the choice between Morelli and Ranger and she'd chosen herself. Decided after their intense and torrid affair that she had to distance herself from both of them. Get a little perspective. She'd get back with Morelli eventually. History had proven that enough times. But he couldn't help but wonder if there was any part of her that wished she'd stayed. Wanted to take the gamble with him and see where it would lead. Because one thing had become clear to Ranger. Stephanie might not be ready for him, but she wasn't willing to go all in with Morelli either. She'd been pulling away from him too.

It took some digging, but Ranger finally found out what she'd meant about the pillow bridges. Apparently, when Steph was seven, she'd decided that she knew enough about physics and engineering to design a bridge to cross from her dresser to her wardrobe using nothing but a pillow. And 12 stitches later, the lesson she took from it was that you couldn't make something solid out of nothing.

Ranger took a different lesson.

He took it to mean that Stephanie Plum was the kind of girl who would always ignore common sense and take the risks anyway if it was what she really wanted. She was the girl who went from lingerie buyer to bounty hunter in one step. Faced drug dealers and mad men without batting an eye. Jumped off the garage roof because she wanted to fly.

If she wanted to make it work with Morelli, she would. But in the end, Morelli wasn't the garage roof anymore. He was the safety net. Dependable. Steady. Predictable. Ready to catch her when she'd inevitably fall.

But if she still wanted to fly, Ranger would give her wings.

* * *

 _I really hope you enjoyed FEARLESS!_

 _Now the story continues with PLUM CRAZY, currently in progress_

 _and a contemporary story that takes place after Tricky Twenty-Two._

 _Plum Crazy is my last planned full length Plum book and what I really hope will be a BabeHEA!_


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